- El Salvador’s BTC purchase on Bitcoin Day stirs debate.
- IMF claims no Bitcoin acquisitions since February 2025.
- Official communications reveal internal transfers, not new buys.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced the purchase of 21 BTC on September 7, 2025, marking the fourth anniversary of the nation’s Bitcoin law.
The acquisition underscores ongoing challenges between fiscal policy and Bitcoin investments amid IMF loan constraints.
El Salvador marked its fourth Bitcoin Law anniversary by purchasing 21 BTC. Despite this celebration, official statements reveal considerable inconsistencies regarding public sector Bitcoin holdings, further complicated by International Monetary Fund loan conditions demanding restricted acquisitions.
President Nayib Bukele announced the Bitcoin purchase on social media. However, government letters to the IMF indicated all public Bitcoin acquisitions stopped in February. Finance Minister and other officials reinforce this position, claiming it upholds the $1.4 billion IMF agreement.
The acquisition drew global attention but raised questions about El Salvador’s commitment to fiscal transparency. Analysts scrutinize whether these purchases impact regional markets or are merely internal bookkeeping discrepancies as some official reports suggest.
The IMF’s stance compels El Salvador to minimize Bitcoin purchases. This financial condition aligns with ongoing fiscal constraints, while social narratives paint a lively image of Bitcoin as transformational. Such conflicting narratives affect economic perception and policy coherence.
The public sector’s Bitcoin holdings being unchanged reflects strategic risk management efforts. Bitcoin reserves, split across multiple addresses, aim to mitigate potential threats without increasing actual holdings, as verified by on-chain data analysis.
Long-term regulatory outcomes could emerge from ongoing digital asset adoption initiatives. Historical trends suggest fluctuating market responses to El Salvador’s crypto activities, highlighting the importance of transparent, consistent policies for stability and growth.
Joe Nakamoto, Bitcoin journalist, said, “After Chivo’s sale… there’s no more ‘loophole’ to keep topping up BTC.”
