In a symbolic move, El Salvador added 21 Bitcoins to its national holdings to celebrate its fourth anniversary of adopting Bitcoin as its fiat currency.
President Nayib Bukele disclosed his purchase in a September 7th post on X. This noted that the acquisition coincided with Bitcoin Day, which officially approved Crypto in 2021.
With this addition, Salvador’s Bitcoin Treasury Ministry now reaches 6,313 btc, worth more than $701 million, according to government figures.
According to Dropstab data, Central American countries have invested $300 million in these acquisitions, bringing more than $400 million unrealized benefits.
On the other hand, the transaction was not about market positioning, but about symbolism.
By marking the anniversary with another Bitcoin purchase, Bukel strengthened the government’s commitment to policies that defined the government’s economic identity.
El Salvador Bitcoin Embrace
The Bitcoin office in El Salvador highlighted the progress made since the groundbreaking decision in 2021.
Authorities pointed to milestones such as establishing the world’s first strategic Bitcoin reserve, launching the Cubo+Bitcoin and Lightning developer program, and accrediting 80,000 civil servants in Bitcoin-related training.
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The firm also highlighted the legal framework introduced for the digital asset market, including the Investment Banking Act, passed in 2025.
Speaking about these milestones, Stacey Herbert, director of the Bitcoin office, has assembled the development as part of an effort to build “the world’s greatest country brand: Bitcoin Country.”
She added:
“The Bitcoin Office has consistently provided exceptional results by focusing solely on high integrity partners and projects for our team. This is just the beginning.”
However, the government framed the anniversary as a celebration of progress, but international observers raised concerns.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has questioned the transparency of Bitcoin Holdings reported by El Salvador. In a July report, the IMF suggested that the country’s increased Bitcoin balance reflects internal asset restructuring rather than continuous daily purchases.
This challenges a direct statement from the National Bitcoin Office in El Salvador, which has always claimed that the government continues to buy Bitcoin every day.