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El Salvador added 7 BTC over the past week, lifting its national bitcoin reserves to 7,798 BTC, worth more than $643 million at the time of writing, according to News.bitcoin. The figures come from the country’s Bitcoin Office and point to a continuation of President Nayib Bukele’s one-bitcoin-a-day accumulation policy, despite an International Monetary Fund waiver that expected the practice to stop.
Key facts
- El Salvador’s reserves now stand at 7,798 BTC following a 7 BTC addition over seven days, with a value above $643 million at the time of writing.
- The IMF granted a waiver roughly a week before the Oct. 8 report after the public-sector crypto criteria were not met, tying it to corrective measures and renewed commitments.
- The IMF named Dan Katz, its first deputy managing director and chair, who said no further bitcoin accumulation is expected beyond documented donations.
- News.bitcoin said the added coins appear to come from an unidentified private donor, leaving the country’s financial exposure unclear.
Accumulation continues under Bukele
The daily purchases have outlasted the policy shift that began with the $1.4 billion extended fund facility agreed in February 2025. Under the program, El Salvador moved bitcoin from legal tender status to voluntary use and transferred majority ownership of the Chivo Wallet to a private operator, which the fund described as a welcome step. Bukele had committed to keep buying until bitcoin became unaffordable with fiat currencies, and the Bitcoin Office, created in 2022 to run the national strategy, continues to report additions.
Also read: Bitcoin Exchange Reserves Hit 2.68M BTC, Lowest Since 2023
The waiver followed a review in which the IMF said the state’s bitcoin involvement is being unwound. Deputy managing director and acting chair Nigel Clarke had earlier stressed that program commitments would confine government engagement in bitcoin-related economic activity, as well as government transactions in and purchases of bitcoin. Katz’s statement that no accumulation beyond documented donations is expected set a clear marker against which the recent weekly purchases can be read.
Why it matters
The gap between the IMF’s stated expectation and the Bitcoin Office’s weekly additions is the practical substance of this story. Because the purchases appear to be funded by a private donor rather than the treasury, the public accounts may not show the cost of the strategy, which cuts both ways for the country’s creditors. El Salvador’s reserve figure also functions as a visible benchmark other governments can cite when weighing whether to hold bitcoin on a sovereign balance sheet. The IMF program remains the main external constraint on how far the policy can be pushed.
Also read: Germany proposes 25% flat tax on crypto gains starting 2028
What to watch
The next IMF review will show whether the fund treats ongoing accumulation as a breach of the waiver terms or as activity outside the government’s direct control. Further Bitcoin Office disclosures of daily additions, and any legal move concerning control of the reserve, are the figures that will move this story forward.
Related coverage
News.bitcoin also reported that Bukele denied claims El Salvador was ceding control of its strategic bitcoin reserve to a private operator.
Reported by news.bitcoin.com.
Source: Bitcoin.com News