El Salvador’s president says the country “won’t stop” buying Bitcoin

• Nayib Bukele’s comments come days after the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) new request as part of its $1.4 billion loan deal
• The new request asks that there is “no voluntary accumulation of Bitcoin by the public sector”
• It also asks that there is a “ceiling of 0” on government Bitcoin purchases

El Salvador’s president has dismissed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) new request, stating that the country “won’t stop” buying Bitcoin.

In a post on X, Nayib Bukele said:

““This all stops in April.” “This all stops in June.” “This all stops in December.” No, it’s not stopping. If it didn’t stop when the world ostracized us and most “bitcoiners” abandoned us, it won’t stop now, and it won’t stop in the future.”

“This all stops in April.” “This all stops in June.” “This all stops in December.”

No, it’s not stopping.

If it didn’t stop when the world ostracized us and most “bitcoiners” abandoned us, it won’t stop now, and it won’t stop in the future.

Proof of work > proof of whining https://t.co/9pC0PoY3YQ

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 4, 2025

His remarks come days after the IMF issued a new request to El Salvador as part of its $1.4 billion loan deal with the IMF.

Michael Saylor, Strategy’s CEO, responded by saying: “Bitcoin adoption is unstoppable.”

El Salvador currently holds 6,101.18 Bitcoin at a value of over $527 million.

Additional requests

The new rules as set out in the IMF’s Country Reports 2025, state that there will be “no voluntary accumulation of Bitcoin by the public sector,” adding:

“Voluntary accumulation of bitcoins includes purchase and mining of Bitcoins and excludes the accumulation of Bitcoins resulting from forfeiture, seizure, apprehension, custody or other form of property or possession by the government arising from law enforcement measures adopted in accordance with Salvadoran law.”

Additionally, there is a “ceiling of 0” on government Bitcoin purchases.

Approved bill

The latest development follows the January approval by El Salvador of a bill to change its Bitcoin law to comply with the IMF’s loan deal.

Under the plans, El Salvador changed a legal requirement that businesses accept Bitcoin as payment to make it optional instead. The government would also reduce the budget deficit by 3.5% of GDP over three years through spending cuts and tax rises while boosting reserves from $11 billion to $15 billion.

El Salvador became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021. Then, it was reported that all businesses must accept Bitcoin. Consequently, the move attracted the attention of the IMF.

Following El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin in 2021, the IMF sent a statement in November 2021 “recommend[ing] narrowing the scope of the Bitcoin law” while “strengthening the regulation and supervision of the new payment system.”

This was again called for in January 2022, when the IMF advised El Salvador to reconsider making Bitcoin the country’s legal tender. The IMF recently recommended that El Salvador limit the public’s exposure to Bitcoin.