Bukele’s ‘Bitcoin Piggy Bank’: El Salvador’s Reserves Now Stand At 5,851 BTC

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Veronika Rinecker

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Veronika Rinecker

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Veronika Rinecker is based in Germany, studied international journalism and media management. She specializes in politics and regulation, energy, blockchain, and fintech. Since 2017, she has been…

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El Salvador, the first country to adopt Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender, continues to accumulate the cryptocurrency.

Since March 16, 2024, a cold wallet believed to be owned by the Salvadoran government has acquired one Bitcoin every day, according to recent data from blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence.

Daily Bitcoin Buys Boost El Salvador’s Reserves

This consistent buying strategy has added 162 Bitcoins to the country’s reserves, bringing the total to 5,851 as of August 23, 2024. The current market value of these holdings stands at approximately $357.2 million.

Arkham Intelligence data also reveals the daily purchase pattern on this particular wallet. Interestingly, while most purchases were for one Bitcoin, there were a few instances where the amount purchased was less than $1.

El Salvador's Bitcoin purchases have been consistent, with most transactions involving one Bitcoin
El Salvador’s Bitcoin purchases have been consistent, with most transactions involving one Bitcoin. Source: Arkham Intelligence

Crypto analyst EmberCN estimates in his X post from Aug. 23 that the average cost per Bitcoin in El Salvador is around $44,835. This translates to a potential upside of $93.45 million (+35%) based on current market prices.

El Salvador’s Bitcoin Strategy – More Than Just Buying

El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, initiated this daily buying program in March 2024 and stated his intention to continue until Bitcoin becomes “unaffordable.”

When the purchases began, El Salvador transferred 5,689 Bitcoin to the cold storage wallet, then valued at $386 million. Bukele famously referred to this wallet as the country’s “first Bitcoin piggy bank.”

But the government’s ambitions go beyond mere financial gain. Bukele has made it clear that he has no plans to sell the country’s Bitcoin holdings, suggesting that he believes in BTC’s potential for significant economic growth. Experts also predict that El Salvador could eventually become one of the richest countries in the world if the price of BTC continues to rise.

To transparently inform citizens about its Bitcoin transactions, El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office launched a website in May 2024 to track the Ministry of Finance’s coin holdings in partnership with mempool.space, an organization that publishes Bitcoin transaction data.

Beyond direct purchases, El Salvador has also tapped into its geothermal energy to mine Bitcoin. Since 2021, the nation’s volcanic power has mined 474 BTC, valued at approximately $29 million.

El Salvador to Boost Bitcoin Literacy

To foster a deeper understanding of Bitcoin within the public sector, El Salvador’s National Bitcoin Office will also provide Bitcoin training and certification to 80,000 government employees.

“Thousands of El Salvador’s civil servants will soon receive the highest standard of instruction on Bitcoin,” said Stacy Herbert, Director of El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office in its X post from Aug. 20. “And this will have the compounding effect of excellence begetting more excellence in El Salvador, the home of new capital markets on Bitcoin”.

Previously, El Salvador has already organized Bitcoin training programs and integrated Bitcoin education into public schools. Since 2023, the “My First Bitcoin” (orig. “Mi Primer Bitcoin”) project has been included in the school curriculum to educate the younger generation about the digital asset.

Bitcoin currently has a market capitalization of over $1.2 trillion, representing more than half (53.67%) of the total cryptocurrency market. The price of BTC has seen a slight increase of 5.7% over the past week.

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