Cornell Bitcoin adoption index puts El Salvador, Venezuela on top

El Salvador, Venezuela and Nigeria have the highest shares of people with prior Bitcoin ownership experience, according to a new Bitcoin adoption index report from Cornell University cited by Bitcoin Magazine. Based on a survey of about 26,000 people worldwide, the report said the leaders were not wealthy financial hubs but economies with unstable national currencies and limited day-to-day access to U.S. dollars or reliable banking services. In those countries, Bitcoin functions less as a speculative instrument and more as a practical solution. The report said respondents in Venezuela viewed Bitcoin as faster, safer and less risky than other ways of obtaining U.S. dollars, while respondents in El Salvador said they own it because no one can control it.