Bitcoin, techno-utopianism and populism: Unveiling Bukele’s crypto-populism in El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftArtikelPeer Reviewed

Abstract

In 2021, President Nayib Bukele introduced Bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador. This paper examines the relationship between right-wing populism and Bitcoin. Through textual and visual analyses, the paper shows how Bukele weaves the promises and techno-utopian ideology surrounding Bitcoin into classic populist narratives. Adopting Bitcoin adds the promise of technology-driven development and the realization of a techno-utopia to the populist narrative template, allowing Bukele to construct a populist myth of himself as a tech-savvy visionary. This brand of crypto-populism represents a novel addition to the right-wing populist repertoire, capitalizing on the promises of an ongoing digital revolution.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)579-602
Seitenumfang24
FachzeitschriftEconomy and Society
Jahrgang53
Ausgabenummer4
DOIs
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 2024

Fördermittel

This work was supported by the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) under the Anniversary Fund programme (project no. 18818). I would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers and the editorial board for their constructive comments, as well as Ayesha Chari for her meticulous editing. The editing was financially supported by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Vienna.

ÖFOS 2012

  • 506003 Entwicklungspolitik
  • 506007 Internationale Beziehungen
  • 504023 Politische Soziologie
  • 502027 Politische Ökonomie

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