El Salvador's Miss Universe contestant wears Bitcoin themed costume
In 2021, El Salvador became the very first nation to use Bitcoin as legal tender, and the costume was a representation of that
Miss El Salvador, Alexjandra Guajardo Sada walks onstage during the 71st Miss Universe Competition National Costume show at New Orleans Morial Convention Center on January 11, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Image: Josh Brasted/Getty Images
Alejandra Guajardo, an actress and model, represented El Salvador in the Miss Universe 2022 pageant, where she wore a costume that featured Bitcoin as she walked across the stage.
On January 12th, Alejandra Guajardo posted on her Instagram account and tagged Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, showing a photo of herself walking with a large colón currency adorned with cocoa beans strapped to her back. She also carried a staff with a large physical Bitcoin on top of it in her hand.
The Miss Universe announcer stated that the costume worn by Guajardo represents El Salvador's history of currency. They explained that cocoa was used as a currency in the past, followed by the colón, and eventually replaced by the US dollar.
They also mentioned that in 2021, El Salvador became the very first nation to use Bitcoin as legal tender and that the costume was a representation of that.
In the Miss Universe pageant, 16 contestants will move on to the semifinals after the preliminary competition. Eighty-four countries are represented in the 2022 event.
