IMF says Bukele's government did not fund 1,540 Bitcoin

The IMF says El Salvador's government used no public resources for Bitcoin accumulated through documented private donations. El Salvador held about 6,224 BTC at the end of June 2025. Its official reserve tracker now shows more than 7,764 BTC. The tracker shows an increase of roughly 1,540 BTC. Applying the IMF's assessment to that subsequent accumulation would mean that much of the increase came from private donations rather than taxpayer-funded purchases. The IMF expects no further accumulation beyond the documented contributions. The IMF said earlier changes in El Salvador's Bitcoin position had not necessarily represented new buying. It linked increases in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to transfers among government-controlled wallets. It linked smaller fluctuations elsewhere to Bitcoin-denominated deposits held through Chivo. The IMF said the government had substantially unwound its stakes in the Chivo e-wallet. A private operator received majority ownership and operational control. The government retained a minority stake and custody responsibilities for customer assets. El Salvador continues to describe itself as an active Bitcoin buyer. The National Bitcoin Office said on Aug. 28 that the country had just bought more Bitcoin. The office also repeated the message, One BTC per day, every day. President Nayib Bukele has maintained his pro-Bitcoin stance. El Salvador has continued expanding Bitcoin education initiatives. The country presents Bitcoin as part of its long-term economic strategy. Last year, El Salvador moved its Bitcoin holdings from a single reused wallet to multiple addresses. Officials said the change followed digital-asset security best practices. Officials also said it reduced potential long-term exposure to quantum-computing threats. The new structure keeps the addresses public so observers can verify the reserve balance. The structure does not distinguish public purchases from private donations or transfers among government-controlled wallets.