IMF Clears El Salvador Bitcoin Compliance on Private Donations

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cleared El Salvador's Bitcoin compliance on September 3, 2026, after accepting the country's explanation that every coin added to its sovereign reserve since June 2025 came from private donations.

The IMF reached a staff-level agreement covering the combined second and third reviews of El Salvador's 40-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF), potentially unlocking approximately $140 million in additional disbursements pending approval by the IMF Executive Board.

However, this acceptance creates a structural tension with the IMF's own Fiscal Transparency Code, which requires that public reporting on government finances be comprehensive, reliable, and publicly verifiable.