Great news! Just from plans and newspapers to reality there's still one more step.

I don't think that any government would buy the amount of hardware for running so many nodes. And, in the odd case it would buy and distribute, most of the households would sell that hardware as soon as they get the chance.
Then I don't think that a country like El Salvador has internet coverage for all (or even most!) households. Or you expect people will download the blockchain on mobile data?!

No sorry. It's nice news, but not feasible.

This is good for decentralization but at the same time, looking centralized without privacy. Anyone can run node and it's should be at the interest of the user. Why  would anyone run node when they don't even know what to do with it. It's going to be like Bitcoin force on people and that's not what Bitcoin is about. Anyone interested Bitcoin and want Bitcoin can do the same because the last I checked, the airdrop he did about Bitcoin to a app to make Bitcoin a legal tender are all abandoned.

If he is also willing to incentivize the node runners, I think there is no need for that. They will switch of the node after they are been paid like the last time they did with Bitcoin because everything is been force, they will be patient and do everything along but as soon as they get piad, that's going to be the end of those nodes. I suggest it should be a voluntary action by anyone interested in running it and then surprise them later.

I kind of agree with you that this move is all a hype, I don't think he is serious about actualizing this. Bitcoin nodes consume some significant power to run and I don't know how much the country is prepared to contain such electricity consumption from its masses. Initially I was thinking the investments into bitcoin was more in national profitability, but I think it is also good looking into increased security on an individual level to reduce scams and uphold the integrity, security, and privacy on an individual level.

Running a full node helps you enforce the bitcoin ruleset locally, increase the integrity of your transaction by verifying its authenticity and increase privacy by reducing dependency on third-party nodes and I really am impressed/surprised that a government is promoting more decentralization as against wanting to be in control which is always their true nature.

Finally, this is a good move that would help increase the knowledge of bitcoin among the masses, if not for anything, it is good the masses know about more healthy and safer way to engage in bitcoin which is a legal tender in their country.

Or used for other purpose instead, while shutting down the full node software.


They could setup the OS and Bitcoin node in advance, although internet coverage and mobile data issue still exist since the blockchain grow few GB every months.

I said it's not feasible. It's not impossible, but if they want to make it possible even for 75% of the households it would be a challenge that's not worth it from the government point of view - they'd need to add infrastructure, they'd need to enforce rules for people to handle those devices with extra care, they may have to pretty much pay for the electricity and internet, hire companies to visit those households and check if the devices are there and running, maybe maintain them... and then why not just buy those devices and keep them in one place, in the capitol, with internet available, with very low chance to steal them, with high chance somebody would actually maintain them and keep them running.

There's a saying that the pessimists are the happiest people because the word is better than they expect it.
This being said, I will be happy if he does it. But I just will not expect him to.