El Salvador Celebrates Four Years of Bitcoin Adoption with Symbolic 21 BTC Purchase

Highlights:

• El Salvador commemorates Bitcoin Day by buying 21 BTC, reflecting the 21M supply cap.
• Despite IMF pressure to scale back Bitcoin plans for $1.4B loan, purchases continue.
• The nation expands its Bitcoin push with staff training and a new crypto banking law.

On September 7, President Nayib Bukele confirmed that El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office bought 21 BTC to mark the fourth anniversary of the country’s Bitcoin legal tender law. This acquisition highlights the symbolic 21 million Bitcoin supply cap and demonstrates the government’s continued focus on expanding its digital currency reserves, even amid tensions with international lenders. 

“El Salvador Celebrates Bitcoin Day! The Bitcoin Office is proud to have been building Bitcoin country for three of the four years since El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender,” the Bitcoin Office shared. Looking back, El Salvador officially made Bitcoin legal tender on September 7, 2021, and established itself as a pioneer in the global crypto space. 

🥳EL SALVADOR CELEBRATES BITCOIN DAY!

The Bitcoin Office is proud to have been building BITCOIN COUNTRY for three of the four years since El Salvador made bitcoin legal tender.

🇸🇻 Guided by EXCELLENCE ONLY, our results prove that builders can just build extraordinary things:… pic.twitter.com/BReo1zC2pZ

— The Bitcoin Office (@bitcoinofficesv) September 7, 2025

The initiative was introduced to boost financial inclusion and lower remittance costs, even though critics warned about volatility and economic risks. However, critics cautioned about volatility, economic risks, and argued that it contradicted the decentralized principles of cryptocurrency since it was enforced by the state.

Data shows that since March last year, El Salvador has steadily purchased one Bitcoin every day. The Bitcoin Office reported that El Salvador’s Bitcoin reserve has reached 6,313 BTC, worth more than $702 million.

IMF Pressures El Salvador to Scale Back Bitcoin Strategy for Loan Deal

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has long been one of the strongest critics of El Salvador’s BTC adoption. From the beginning, the global lender warned that adopting a highly volatile digital asset as legal tender could weaken financial stability, disrupt monetary policy, and create serious fiscal risks for the country.

By 2025, those concerns led the IMF to pressure El Salvador into reducing its Bitcoin ambitions in exchange for a $1.4 billion loan package. To secure the agreement, the government pledged to stop making public Bitcoin purchases, remove the requirement that merchants accept Bitcoin, and close down the state-backed Chivo wallet program.

In July, the IMF released a review questioning El Salvador’s regular Bitcoin purchases. It said the country had stopped buying Bitcoin in February, soon after finalizing its loan deal. This went against the Bitcoin Office’s social media updates, which continued to share news of fresh acquisitions. The IMF explained that these transactions were not new market buys but only internal transfers between government-controlled wallets.

El Salvador Expands Bitcoin Push with Training Programs and New Banking Law

Still, El Salvador continues to push its BTC vision publicly. On September 7, the Bitcoin Office announced that about 80,000 government employees have earned Bitcoin certifications. It also shared that the country is introducing new public education programs centered on Bitcoin and artificial intelligence. 

In August, El Salvador’s National Assembly approved a new Investment Banking Law. The legislation allows certain investment banks to function as licensed Bitcoin service providers, asset issuers, and digital managers. These activities will be regulated by the Superintendency of the Financial System (SSF) and the Central Reserve Bank (BCR). El Salvador’s stash keeps it among the biggest state Bitcoin holders, outpacing nations testing mining-based strategies.

🇸🇻🚀 pic.twitter.com/DEGUKMmhfd

— The Bitcoin Office (@bitcoinofficesv) August 8, 2025