Bukele Dismisses Claims of Private Bitcoin Reserve Transfer
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has denied reports that his country transferred its Bitcoin reserve to a private operator. The claim, made by Spanish news outlet El País and supported by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) press release, stated that over $632 million in BTC was given to a private firm for management.
Bukele called the report 'totally false' on social media, linking directly to the IMF's press release. He pointed out that the release actually states that El Salvador transferred Chivo shares, an offer made 18 months ago, but not its sovereign Bitcoin reserve.
The IMF praised El Salvador for its economic performance and compliance with program commitments. However, Bukele failed to address IMF statements suggesting private donations contributed to the nation's strategic Bitcoin accumulation.