El Salvador added another bitcoin to its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, pushing total holdings to 7,687 BTC valued at more than $510 million. The purchase continues the country's roughly one-bitcoin-per-day acquisition policy, which added more than 1,600 coins between January and April. The accumulation persists despite a $1.4 billion IMF financing agreement that calls on the public sector to stop buying bitcoin, creating ongoing friction between President Nayib Bukele's administration and the international lender.
El Salvador Maintains Daily Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
The country's reserve now stands at 7,687 BTC, according to recent counts. El Salvador has been treating market weakness as an invitation to add to the national stack, scooping up coins even as bitcoin slid close to $66,000.
Between January and April alone, authorities added more than 1,600 coins, consistent with a long-running policy of acquiring close to one bitcoin per day regardless of short-term volatility. That steady, mechanical approach, often described as dollar-cost averaging at the national level, has allowed the country to keep growing its holdings without trying to time the market.
Each purchase is small, but the cumulative effect has pushed El Salvador into the ranks of the largest sovereign bitcoin holders. The latest buy continues a routine that has become a defining feature of President Nayib Bukele's economic policy, summed up in four words: "Buying the dip, every day."
IMF Agreement Calls for Halt to Public Sector Bitcoin Purchases
The buying persists despite friction with the International Monetary Fund. Under a $1.4 billion financing agreement, the IMF has urged El Salvador's public sector to halt bitcoin accumulation, and the fund has repeatedly questioned how the country reconciles its purchases with the deal's terms.
Last year, El Salvador passed an IMF review even as it continued to expand its holdings, leaving observers puzzled over how both can be true at once. Bukele has shown no sign of backing down as he has long insisted the country will not sell, framing its conviction with the mantra that 1 BTC = 1 BTC regardless of the U.S. dollar's price.
The government's position is that the reserve is a long-term bet on bitcoin's appreciation, not a trading position to be unwound during downturns. The IMF, for its part, has argued that some of El Salvador's reported accumulation amounts to shuffling existing coins rather than net new purchases, a characterization the government disputes.
The opacity around exactly how and when coins are added has made the precise reserve figure difficult to pin down, even as the trend line points steadily upward.
Bukele Administration Frames Reserve as Long-Term Position
El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, and although it later adjusted that status under IMF pressure, Bukele has kept the reserve growing. The strategy has drawn both criticism and imitation, with other governments and corporations studying the model of steady, programmatic accumulation.
The approach has also reshaped how the country talks about its finances, given officials now report bitcoin alongside traditional reserves, and Bukele frequently uses unrealized gains on the stack as a talking point during market upswings. The reserve has become a central part of the nation's economic identity.
FAQ
How much Bitcoin does El Salvador currently hold?
El Salvador's Strategic Bitcoin Reserve stands at 7,687 BTC, valued at more than $510 million according to recent counts.
What is El Salvador's Bitcoin acquisition policy?
The country maintains a roughly one-bitcoin-per-day acquisition policy. Between January and April alone, authorities added more than 1,600 coins, consistent with a long-running policy of acquiring close to one bitcoin per day regardless of short-term volatility.
What did the IMF agreement say about El Salvador's Bitcoin purchases?
Under a $1.4 billion financing agreement, the IMF has urged El Salvador's public sector to halt bitcoin accumulation. Despite this, El Salvador passed an IMF review last year even as it continued to expand its holdings.
