El Salvador's Bitcoin Reserves Grow Thanks to Private Donations

According to the International Monetary Fund (FMI), El Salvador did not use public funds to buy Bitcoin in the past year. The FMI stated that donations from private individuals explain the increase in the country's national Bitcoin reserves since mid-2025.

The FMI provided documentation from El Salvador's authorities, which confirmed that the accumulated amount since the first review reflects private donations and no public resources were used. The institution does not foresee any additional increases beyond these documented donations.

This version of events differs from the one presented by the FMI itself last year. In September 2025, a representative of the FMI told Decrypt that the total amount of Bitcoin in government possession had not increased and that the growth in El Salvador's Strategic Reserve Fund for Bitcoin only reflected the movement of coins between already-controlled state accounts.

El Salvador's Bitcoin Office has announced several purchases of Bitcoin, including one in November 2026, where they acquired 1,090 BTC valued at around $100 million. The office also claimed to have recently bought more Bitcoin, contradicting the FMI's statement.