Cryptocurrencies have continued to tumble this week with billions wiped from the value of tokens like Bitcoin. The crash is affecting investors worldwide, including the government of El Salvador. The Central American country has poured millions of dollars into Bitcoin and made it legal tender nine months ago, encouraging people to use it for day-to-day transactions.

From trinkets and tacos to petrol and even houses - you can shop for pretty much anything in El Salvador with Bitcoin. Buying with cryptocurrency from street sellers and major chains alike is a remarkable experience.

It shows how far Bitcoin has come since it was dreamt up on internet forums back in 2008.

The decision by President Nayib Bukele to make the cryptocurrency legal tender means that in theory it must now be accepted by all businesses, alongside El Salvador's other currency, the US dollar.

But the latest cryptocurrency crash has prompted more questions about the policy, especially the use of nearly $100m of public funds to buy Bitcoin - each purchase celebrated by the president with a tweet.

The country's 2,300 bitcoins are now worth half what the government paid for them, but the finance minister has brushed off criticism, saying there is "extremely minimal fiscal risk".

Bitcoin Beach

The place where El Salvador's Bitcoin movement started is El Zonte, a small surfing and fishing town on the south coast. Here, in 2019, an anonymous donor gave a group of cryptocurrency fans the first of many large donations of Bitcoin.

No-one admits to knowing who he or she is, but the deal was that the town could keep the digital coins on condition they weren't converted into dollars.