IMF says El Salvador to make ‘efforts’ to stop Bitcoin buys with $120M payments deal

The International Monetary Fund said it has reached an agreement with El Salvador to pay the country $120 million following an initial review of its $1.4 billion loan agreement struck last year.

The IMF  said  on May 27 that as part of the deal, El Salvador will need to fulfill its prior obligations around limiting further government involvement in Bitcoin 

BTC$108,746, and it will have to cease its involvement in the Chivo wallet by the end of July.

“On Bitcoin, efforts will continue to ensure that the total amount of Bitcoin held across all government-owned wallets remains unchanged,” the global lender said.

The planned payout, subject to IMF executive board approval, is part of a larger $1.4 billion, 40-month  loan deal  struck in December, which saw El Salvador agree to confine its Bitcoin ambitions.

On March 3, the IMF  reiterated its stance  that El Salvador should stop accumulating Bitcoin and not pursue other Bitcoin-related activities.

Despite the IMF’s request, El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, has  stated  that his government will  continue to acquire  one BTC per day as part of the nation’s Bitcoin treasury strategy.

El Salvador again defies IMF

Shortly after the IMF’s May 27 announcement, El Salvador’s Bitcoin Office  posted  to X that the country had once again purchased more Bitcoin.

The country’s official Bitcoin  tracker  shows that El Salvador is continuing with Bitcoin-buying through the Bitcoin Office, which has accumulated 30 BTC in the past 30 days.

Currently, El Salvador’s Bitcoin reserve stands at 6,190.18 BTC.

Last week, Bukele took to the social media platform X to  reveal  that the nation’s Bitcoin treasury is sitting at an unrealized profit of $386 million, a 132% gain on its total Bitcoin investment.

In April, Rodrigo Valdes, director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the IMF, said that  the country is complying  with the IMF’s performance criteria.

Author and intergovernmental blockchain adviser Anndy Lian suggested that the country could maintain technical compliance by purchasing Bitcoin through non-government entities.