PANews reported on May 30 that according to CoinDesk, Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi said at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference that he was considering promoting Bitcoin payment applications based on the El Salvador model. The city has passed a bill allowing residents to use Bitcoin, Ethereum and some stablecoins to pay municipal fees such as taxes and parking fees. Mizrachi specifically proposed to provide priority navigation rights for ships that use Bitcoin to pay Panama Canal tolls, and consider establishing a municipal Bitcoin reserve. This idea is directly inspired by the policies of Salvadoran President Bukele, who became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender four years ago.

The Panama Canal Authority has not yet officially responded to the cryptocurrency payment plan. The canal's toll revenue in fiscal year 2024 reached $4.9 billion, and it handles 30-40 ships per day.