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El Salvador has expanded its cryptocurrency reserves, with the government confirming the El Salvador total BTC holding now stands at 6,313.18 BTC. The latest addition came through a 21 BTC purchase executed on Sept. 7, a date celebrated locally as Bitcoin Day.
Based on current market prices, the stash is valued at just over $700 million, according to figures released by the country’s Bitcoin Office, the administrative unit responsible for managing digital assets.
“Even with fiscal headwinds, El Salvador continues to signal its intent to align policy with Bitcoin’s principles,” — Jaime Rodríguez, a blockchain policy analyst at the Latin American Finance Observatory, told Bloomberg.
The El Salvador total BTC holding milestone comes four years after President Nayib Bukele pushed through legislation making Bitcoin legal tender. The move marked a historic first in global finance, but it has faced sharp criticism from economists who argue that the country is overly exposed to cryptocurrency volatility.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been among the most vocal critics. Since 2021, the Fund has warned that adopting Bitcoin as legal tender could complicate monetary policy and undermine financial stability. Those warnings materialized into concrete conditions in 2025, when El Salvador sought a $1.4 billion loan package.
As part of the IMF agreement, the government scaled back its public-facing Bitcoin ambitions, halting state-run wallet operations and repealing the mandate requiring merchants to accept Bitcoin. Officially, the state also committed to suspending fresh Bitcoin acquisitions.
Yet controversy persists. A July IMF review alleged that the El Salvador total BTC holding had not materially changed since February 2025, suggesting that some reported acquisitions were internal wallet transfers rather than genuine market purchases. The Bitcoin Office has rejected those claims, insisting that every announced transaction reflects real accumulation.
Despite IMF conditions, El Salvador has sought to strengthen its domestic crypto ecosystem. In early September, officials announced that nearly 80,000 public servants had received Bitcoin certifications, part of broader training initiatives tied to digital finance and artificial intelligence.
Last month, lawmakers passed the Investment Banking Law, enabling select investment banks to operate as licensed Bitcoin service providers under the supervision of the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) and the Superintendency of the Financial System (SSF).
Government representatives say the aim is to integrate digital assets more securely into the financial system.
“We are building frameworks that allow responsible Bitcoin adoption without compromising financial oversight,” — María Luisa Hayem, El Salvador’s Minister of Economy, told El Mundo.
Such steps suggest the administration remains committed to keeping Bitcoin central to its policy platform, even if headline purchases are scaled back.
The El Salvador total BTC holding has also attracted attention abroad. Countries such as Pakistan and Bolivia have reportedly consulted Salvadoran officials about designing their own Bitcoin strategies. For some observers, this underscores how even a small economy can influence international debates on digital asset adoption.
For investors, the nation’s holdings serve as a high-profile case study in sovereign crypto exposure. While critics highlight governance challenges and macroeconomic risks, supporters argue that El Salvador is pioneering a model of national-level Bitcoin integration.
“With Bitcoin trading above $110,000, the government’s 6,313 BTC stash represents one of the largest sovereign-level digital reserves in the world,” — Diego Castaño, Senior Researcher at Coin Metrics, said. “The real test will be whether this bet remains politically and fiscally sustainable.”
As markets watch closely, the El Salvador total BTC holding remains both a financial experiment and a political statement. Its trajectory could shape how other emerging economies approach Bitcoin in the years ahead.
