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El Salvador Purchases 21 BTC to Commemorate Bitcoin Day Despite IMF Restrictions

El Salvador Purchases 21 BTC to Commemorate Bitcoin Day Despite IMF Restrictions

Country lifts Bitcoin reserves to 6,313 coins on law’s anniversary, even as IMF loan deal restricts fresh purchases.

Written by Rahul Dhingra, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 8 September 2025 16:44 IST

El Salvador Purchases 21 BTC to Commemorate Bitcoin Day Despite IMF Restrictions

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Kanchanara

El Salvador boosts Bitcoin reserves with symbolic anniversary purchase.

Highlights

21 BTC purchased to mark the Bitcoin Law anniversary
Total reserves reach 6,313 coins worth $700 million
80,000 public servants are certified in Bitcoin

El Salvador celebrates its fourth anniversary of the Bitcoin legal tender law by acquiring 21 BTC, despite restrictions under its International Monetary Fund (IMF) Loan agreement that requires the country to halt purchases using public funds. President Nayib Bukele confirmed the symbolic purchase through the country's Bitcoin Office. This acquisition increases the country's total Bitcoin Reserves to 6,313 BTC, valued at over $700 million (roughly Rs. 6,000 crores), continuing the government's idea of steadily building its cryptocurrency holdings.

El Salvador's Latest Bitcoin Purchase Pushes Reserves Above $6,300 Mark

The 21 BTC addition to the reserves is a symbolic reference to Bitcoin's maximum supply of 21 million coins. Despite international criticism, El Salvador has been acquiring one Bitcoin per day since March 2024. Although the $1.4 billion IMF loan, signed in December 2024, stipulated that the government should halt all Bitcoin purchases, revoke the Bitcoin legal tender law, and reduce support for the Chivo Bitcoin wallet, which saw limited adoption among residents.

Buying 21 bitcoin for Bitcoin Day. pic.twitter.com/3X4yKeiqzg
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) September 7, 2025

El Salvador's Bitcoin investment has produced mixed results over the past four years. In July 2025, the IMF published a report confirming that no new Bitcoin purchases had been made since the loan agreement. The report included a letter of intent signed by Central Bank President Douglas Pablo, Rodriguez Fuentas, and Finance Minister Jerson Rogelio Posada Molina, verifying that the country's Bitcoin reserves shall remain untouched.

The government is also emphasising Bitcoin education, with around 80,000 public servants now certified and new programmes in Bitcoin and artificial intelligence rolled out nationwide. El Salvador has also distributed Bitcoin reserves across multiple wallets, capping each at 500 coins to strengthen security.

El Salvador To Host First Government-Backed Bitcoin Conference

While officials highlight these steps as measures of transparency, critics contend that the benefits primarily serve the government and international companies rather than ordinary citizens, stressing the need for stronger adoption and local education initiatives.

El Salvador appears to be moving ahead with its plans to expand Bitcoin adoption, despite the IMF loan conditions. The latest anniversary purchase showcases the country's commitment to cryptocurrency, fusing symbolic gestures with risk management and public training programmes.

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Further reading: Bitcoin, BTC, Ethereum, ETH, crypto adoption, Cryptocurrency, El Salvador

Rahul Dhingra

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Rahul Dhingra is a crypto writer at Gadgets 360, where he covers the exciting world of Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Defi and Web3. Before joining Gadgets 360, he worked as a content specialist for a European-based Crypto Exchange. Rahul loves storytelling, not just through the written word but also through the visual medium. Beyond his professional life, Rahul is a sports fanatic. Whether it’s cricket or football, his passion for the game is contagious. More