TLDR
- The IMF confirmed El Salvador used no public money to add Bitcoin after its June 2025 loan review
- All Bitcoin added since then came from private donations, per documents from Salvadoran authorities
- El Salvador’s Bitcoin reserve now stands at 7,764 BTC, worth around $628 million
- Majority ownership of the Chivo wallet has been transferred to a private operator
- El Salvador is set to receive around $140 million following a new staff-level agreement with the IMF
The IMF has confirmed that El Salvador did not use government money to grow its Bitcoin holdings after the first review of its $1.4 billion loan program in June 2025. Documents provided by Salvadoran authorities showed the added Bitcoin came from private donations.
🚨IMF SAYS EL SALVADOR HAS NOT USED PUBLIC MONEY TO BUY BITCOIN!
IMF staff said all bitcoin:native added since June 27 2025 came from private donations, with no public funds used, and that no further accumulation beyond those donations is expected.
The line came with a staff… pic.twitter.com/otZPbEtuRL
— Crypto Banter (@crypto_banter) September 4, 2026
The clarification comes after El Salvador announced in November 2025 that it had acquired 1,090 Bitcoin worth $100 million, raising questions about whether the country was breaking the terms of its IMF deal.
How El Salvador’s Bitcoin Balance Kept Growing
In December 2024, El Salvador agreed to limit public-sector Bitcoin involvement as part of its IMF program. The deal made private-sector Bitcoin acceptance voluntary, required taxes in US dollars, and called for the government to reduce its role in the Chivo crypto wallet.
In March 2025, IMF documents barred voluntary Bitcoin accumulation by the public sector. President Nayib Bukele pushed back, saying purchases were “not stopping” and that El Salvador would keep adding at least one Bitcoin per day.
The country’s National Bitcoin Office continued posting updates showing ongoing accumulation. By July 2025, the IMF said no new Bitcoin had been purchased since December, attributing balance increases to wallet consolidation within the government.
Then came the November 2025 announcement of the 1,090 Bitcoin purchase, reopening the compliance question.
The IMF’s latest statement says documents from El Salvador confirm the additions were private donations, not government purchases. The fund said no further accumulation beyond those donations is expected.
Chivo Wallet Transferred to Private Operator
The IMF also confirmed that majority ownership and operational control of the Chivo wallet has been handed to a private operator. The government kept a minority stake and remains responsible for customer asset custody. The IMF did not name the operator.
El Salvador first made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021, becoming the first country to do so. Chivo was the government-backed wallet launched alongside that move.
The two sides also agreed on steps to improve the legal and oversight framework for crypto, and to strengthen supervision of Bitcoin held by the public sector.
El Salvador currently holds about 7,764 Bitcoin. At a price of around $80,900 per coin, that stockpile is worth roughly $628 million.
The latest staff-level agreement covers the combined second and third reviews of El Salvador’s 40-month Extended Fund Facility. If approved by the IMF board, it would release around $140 million to the country.
The IMF did not name the private donors or specify how much each contributed.
