Bitcoin Forum

IMF says “stop buying crypto” and El Salvador buys 8 more BTC.

A fresh $1.4B loan deal urges limits but Bukele’s Bitcoin Office isn’t backing down.

The legal loophole is that the office isn’t part of the fiscal sector so daily buys roll on,

IMF praises economic progress but can’t stop the sats stacking,

El Salvador now holds nearly 6,200 BTC worth over $674M.

IMO that's a good move to show the finger to the group that thinks it can threaten and blackmail countries.

The IMF claims to be positive organization, aimed at helping countries in need, but in reality those who receive money from the IMF end up being framed into in a long-term dependency. The IMF claims that its loans are short-term help, but the statistics show otherwise.

Also, the IMF is supposed to be impartial - that's their own claim. How is bullying other countries to make them ban bitcoin impartial?

It has been LONG since the last time I heard an actually good advice coming from institutions and bodies governing us.  To us I presume it is easier to take their words with a grain of salt and think them well through.  Unfortunately, most of the countries are stuck under governments supposedly all 'saving' their country and 'getting them back' to what used to be a better place.  Then their terms finish with no positive change but a lot of negative, and the cycle repeats.

I do not care what IMF says.  In fact, lately it seems that doing the exact opposite of what governments and institutions say lead to a better outcome.  The irony.

For a very long time IMF had been fooling a lot countries just to have control over economy. The oldest appear to be decent but there intention is far away from what they are discussing, I always see them as a threat for the development of any country because using my country as a case study, to be honest, since they came to our country we are going down everyday to the extent that our government could not be able to pay salaries of civil servant anymore which lead to a general reform. I strongly stand with El Salvador for not buying their ideas because they are liar.

Their appearance in any country destabilize their economic structure even though they are doing fine they make sure everything is gone so that they will be a Slave to them.

At this point, the so-called “guidance” from global institutions often feels more like pressure than support. What El Salvador is doing might seem radical to some, but it’s also a bold step toward self-determination.
If their Bitcoin strategy pays off, especially in the long term, it could trigger a kind of domino effect where more nations start questioning not just IMF influence, but the whole traditional financial dependency model.
Sometimes real progress starts with doing what everyone says not to do.

Correct me if I am wrong but from what I remember, they were limited to buy crypto. As well as the president’s crypto platform. But I don’t know if they were completely restricted from diving into crypto. Anyway, good for them.
I remember people growing concerned about where El Salvador’s loyalty really lies if they were easily defeated by IMF when it comes to bitcoin but seems like we got our answer.

Why can't the IMF give loans to El Salvador without involving BTC in it, 'we're going to accept your loan deal, but you have to revoke BTC's legal tender status', 'we'll offer you a loan, but you must limit how involved you are in BTC', etc. How does BTC directly affect the loan request from El Salvador.

The IMF already agreed to pay the country $120m, which is part of the $1.4 billion loan deal, before El Salvador made this announcement of buying more BTC's, hope they don't change their mind, lol.

I would refer you were wrong but at best you are only wrong some of the time.

So maybe holding BTC is a lot better than taking loans.

What do you expect from a global financial institution that gives loans to countries with high interest, there will definitely warn the country not to take up on any opportunity that can take them off the borrowing countries list, a lot countries leaders are shouting their door's on UMF loan's, by taking steps to make 100% full payment for outstanding loans to get their countries off from that sucking pipe of loan and interest payment, example is my country president who paid off IMF some days/weeks ago., so El Salvador is taking the right step by not allowing IMF warnings to deter them from their Bitcoin acquisitions.

The IMF had, of course, previously warned the president of El Salvador that if El Salvador invested dollars from the public sector in bitcoin, it could cause complications in obtaining a $1.4 billion loan. But it was later discovered that El Salvador continued to buy Bitcoin every day. Again, despite the IMF's second warning, El Salvador continued to invest in Bitcoin. Regardless of how much the IMF conditions El Salvador, it is clear why El Salvador will officially continue to invest in Bitcoin.

Not really 'ignore' as in the country isn't complying with the agreed terms. El Salvador is just taking advantage of certain conditions in the loan agreement that were ambiguous or perhaps flexible. Somehow, the country is able to skirt the condition that prohibited its public sector to further purchase Bitcoin.

I've also read that the same IMF loan has a condition that El Salvador's Fidebitcoin Trust Fund will have to be liquidated by July 2025. We'll see whether the country complies or not. So far, El Salvador has already complied in declassifying Bitcoin as currency.

I'm curious about why the IMF is saying this to El Salvador just now, not before, even when El Salvador started to implement Bitcoin as their legal tender?

As I'm interested how exactly El Salvador does this, I googled around a bit (AIs weren't helpful in this case).

I found this Spanish article (https://www.criptonoticias.com/comunidad/adopcion/bukele-politica-bitcoin-fmi-trump-elsalvador/) which lists several ways the government can buy Bitcoin without using taxpayers' money, citing an X thread by "Bitcoin Beach" (https://x.com/Bitcoinbeach/status/1898739837382836586):

1) Transaction fees and "donations" which could go to the Bitcoin Office. I guess they refer to fees in Chivo (the article unfortunately isn't that clear here, and the X thread also doesn't help, instead confusing me more - it mentions help by the US government ...).

2) Mining. The government could support private mining facilities in the country, which as a compensation would return Bitcoins to the Bukele government. Unfortunately the article is also not detailed here, but I guess this "support" could be done for example with tax exemptions.

3) Adquisitions by the private sector. This would be a similar "loop", e.g. the government "supporting" companies (e.g. via tax exemptions) and these companies also would transfer the coins to the government's or the Bitcoin Office's wallets.

Yeah, 'donations' in the same way as when one is 'volenteered' for doing some task.  A friend of mine 'donated' about $1k or so before he gave up on using vendors who used Chivo's payment platform service.  Or more accurately, went crawling back to Visa/Mastercard.

I don't want to piss in anyone's cheerios, but it's not hard to understand why uptake of Bitcoin remained low.  That said, more people are more aware and more interested in the concept of a deflationary currency and self-custody.  Things may be moving under the surface, and exposure to people who have done well with the asset class year after years is mostly a positive thing.  This is even more the case as legacy banks become less and less functional and performant due to the demands that they perform monetary surveillance and enforcement roles.


4) Maintain a certain opaque element as to exactly who owns what, how and where it came from, and how and to whom it might be distributed in the event of what set of events.  Allow people to decide the answers to these questions for themselves based on what makes them feel good, and gently 'nudge' them in a favorable direction by use of social media influences.  'People' would include IMF people, although they do have their hands on the spigot.  Supposedly.

One thing to note is that the IMF has yet to disburse the entire $1.4 billion loan package to El Salvador, and despite El Salvador's strong statement that it will continue to buy bitcoin. But in my opinion, it is still too early to say that El Salvador will continue to stand firm on their stance on bitcoin because after all, the national economy is more important.

Their investment in bitcoin is giving good returns and the adoption of bitcoin in the country has helped the economy to some extent but after all their country is still in dire straits and needs a huge amount of money to improve the country.

This is a dilemma for El Salvador, I just hope the IMF will not be too harsh on them, otherwise things will develop in a direction we do not want.

I have never known that IMF called El Salvador government to stop Bitcoin purchases, honestly.

IMF only called El Salvador to stop their national policy on Bitcoin, stop making Bitcoin Legal tender there, and that's it, nothing more and nothing related to that national Bitcoin purchases and its Bitcoin treasury.

https://dailyhodl.com/2025/02/03/el-salvador-reverses-bitcoin-legal-tender-status-under-pressure-from-imf-report/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-60135552

If I were to summarize what I've read, it all boils down to the National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) not falling within the bounds of the fiscal sector. Its activities are considered non-fiscal. It operates with a certain level of independence or autonomy which makes it exempted from direct fiscal oversight. ONBTC's legal and financial structures are designed in such a way that its Bitcoin purchases are done outside the country's fiscal accounts.

Yeah, being non-fiscal, the ONBTC has a non-budgetary funding. However, it has various sources of funds including the private sector and external investments, except the national budget. However, it's also possible the body still uses public funds for its purchases, albeit classified as investment. Meaning, they're still outside the fiscal boundaries. As in other countries, public investment funds are separate from fiscal accounts.

Also, I think the IMF is actually being lenient with El Salvador. As mentioned in the news, they're focusing heavily on other more important fiscal aspects.

It's good that El Salvador is not intimidated or going to back down from the threats of IMF. And if we look at it, they really wanted to drown any countries with debts while purchasing Bitcoin might be the solution for El Salvador to paid off at least some of their loans and IMF doesn't want it.

And we can say that throughout history this is what IMF does to nations and it's like we are still in the colonial era wherein countries doesn't have control of their own resources because we are still being exploited with the likes of IMF and other world governing bodies.

So keep it up El Salvador. You can track their holdings here: https://bitcoin.gob.sv/

Previously, the IMF asked El Salvador to amend some laws related to bitcoin and as a result, bitcoin is no longer a mandatory payment method but instead an optional payment method in the country.
According to the latest news, the IMF will disburse the first $120 million of the loan package that the two parties previously agreed on, but on the condition that El Salvador must stop buying more bitcoin and must stop using the Chivo wallet by the end of July. And under pressure from the IMF, El Salvador's bitcoin office has reaffirmed that the country remains committed to "buying 1 BTC per day."

https://iili.io/3piyape.md.png
https://x.com/anndylian/status/1927713085873344671

The IMF have always been against El Salvador's involvement in BTC, but they have their boot firmly on their throat because the country need loans from them, so if you want a loan from them you have to agree to their terms.

To be fair El Salvador has agreed to some of their terms, but they were smart to create a 'BTC office' that allows them to buy BTC, because it does not fall under the agreed rules, so officially the government can claim that they are not buying BTC, but the 'BTC office' is, lol.

Don't we think El-Salvador know what they are doing, they aren't bending their rules here s many had thought, complying to IMF directives and still investing more in bitcoin by accumulating on continuous pattern, this show that they re more of something, there's plan ahead more bigger than what IMF would have thought for, because of all that is happening, bitcoin accumulation is far better than them all, just as philipma1957 already said.

A lot of Bitcoiners actually don't understand what's going on and paints IMF in a bad light. Now, El Salvador needs loans from IMF and that is the core issue. They have the rights to dictate what the country should do with the funds. It's perfectly normal for them to be able to dictate what should be done with the money and what shouldn't.

Primarily, IMF's goal is to help countries through financial aids and loans. To do so, the country themselves must be able to implement sound policy to achieve long-term and sustainable growth. Agree to the terms if you want their aid, if you don't want to agree to theirs, then there is no good reason why you should kick up a fuss when they refuse to commit to the loans.

El Salvador already follow what IMF advice to take out their decision to make Bitcoin as their legal tender. But for asking not to buy Bitcoin is to much and its good that we see El Salvador is fighting for their right to decide then ignore those ugly controlling attempt made by IMF.

For sure that El Salvador see that they would get more better profits or opportunities by holding Bitcoin. Rather than become a slave of IMF.

I believe in future once El Salvador would get a lot of profit they won't need to take loan from IMF just to fund their future purchases.

People are actually getting it a little bit wrong, IMF usually have this kind of policy that they dish out to their debtors before they give out loans and I think not purchasing bitcoin and making it legal tender is part of it even though I have always not been a fan of them because most of their policy doesn’t take the country’s out of debt but rather just keep them in IMF books, could remember them asking my country to actually float their local currency which was a bad idea.

El Salvador isn’t just going against them, they are actually following their rules but doing it smartly by buying bitcoin separately not tie to the country finances

At least IMF did not take immediate action against El Salvador and only they knew of actual reasons behind this delayed reaction. El Salvador actually was given several years since the last market cycle for accumulating bitcoin, holding it and till 2024 and 2025, they have very good profit from their Bitcoin portfolio.

If by IMF pressure, El Salvador must sell their bitcoin for cash, US dollar or gold, their national treasury has actually been enriched and has become stronger a lot. They can not separate from IMF so they will have to change their national policy according to IMF request. So far, there is no existence of Bitcoin Legal Tender in El Salvador but I don't see this nation stop purchasing bitcoin.

They should actually default on the loan. I'll say more, all countries should because the IMF is a corrupt organization and a part of a failed system.

In short, it was established at the Bretton Woods Conference. Does that ring a bell? Yes, the same conference where they created the Bretton Woods system that pegged USD to gold, but they wanted to inflate the money and print freely, giving out non-existing loans with money that was never in circulation, so they ended it in 1971, but did not end the IMF because it was useful for these greedy fuckers to eat the cake and still have it.

It's funny but Nixon did not remove the peg. He suspended it, yet 50 years later it's still suspended. It's all a scam.

It is truly unimaginable that El Salvador has advertised its Bitcoin strategy amidst international scrutiny
Bukele is giving the IMF the thumbs up  :D

Yahh, El Salvador  began accepting bitcoins in large quantities as part of a $1.4 billion loan  agreement, prompting the International Monetary Fund to prohibit it from accepting more bitcoins. But El Salvador doing smarter by using Bitcoin Office, so that they are not accused of violating the IMF's rules directly lol  ;)

HODLING 6,200 BTC ! ! :o, Nayib Bukele is just doing awesome. If he got a chance, he would probably recognize Bitcoin as the main currency of his country :D
He is just giving other nations a psychological strength to adopt Bitcoin in any situation 8)

I still don't understand what the main point of the IMF is against El Salvador buying BTC. What is the risk that they consider worthy enough to make a big tantrum over this? They are stacking an assets and that's all. Other countries stack gold, like China and Russia. Why is this not a problem, while BTC is? Is it because it is too easy to send across the globe and bypass sanctions? Is it because it undermines the petrodollar as a reserve currency? I don't get it, so I would like the official stance, and what do they really mean by that explained.

Nobody knows for sure, but since el salvador has stolen spotlight with the BTC buying I think they just don't want the trend to continue to other countries, therefore the sanctions.

Honestly a big win for el salvador to keep stacking BTC.

Bukele only really cares what the U.S. thinks. Since El Salvador runs on the dollar, the U.S. has leverage — they even floated cutting access to USD under Biden.
But Trump’s back, and he’s vibing with both Bukele and Bitcoin. So… let the stacking continue.

It would be lame to compare bitcoin with gold at this stage, as gold has been considered a proven safe haven for thousands of years while bitcoin is a fairly new, volatile and more speculative asset.

BTC also does not weaken USD, if it was a threat to USD, do you think US would accept it?

We are bitcoin investors and we are very sensitive and upset when someone badmouths BTC or restricts it. But if we are realistic and fair, we cannot deny that investing in bitcoin also has certain risks, especially when it comes to the country's economy.

Not to mention, if it were you, would you be willing to lend someone a large sum of money when you weren't sure if they could repay you? You will have to ask thousands of questions and make a series of requests before lending them money. Likewise, the IMF is a lender and needs to ensure that debtors can repay their debts.

Nope your wrong with that Bukele heavily ignoring what US think since even before they are been discourage by past administration including IMF to buy Bitcoin. But they stood up with their rights and continue to buy despite of heavy discouragement they receive from these entities.

Bukele made a controversial move before to make Bitcoin as their tender and many criticize him for that decision he made.

On new US administration I guess US is the one who want to gather experience from El Salvador that's why Bukele and Trump meet up happened. El Salvador will stand and I believe they continue to accumulate even if US is out of their scope.

You can hardly expect something like that if you have 6000+ BTC and invest at a rate of 1 BTC per day (365 per year). It is simply too slow to make a profit with which you would be in a position to no longer need loans, not to mention the fact that when you sell BTC, and repay the debt, you have nothing left.

Furthermore, the question arises as to what will happen when Bukele is no longer president, will the new president continue on the same path or will he make a complete U-turn?

That’s a logical point of view, and indeed if a country asks for financial aid, it should be ready to follow the conditions set by the lender. The IMF is not a charity organization, and they want to make sure the money isn’t simply "burned," but goes towards reforms and stabilization.
On the other hand, it’s strange that the IMF demonizes BTC so aggressively, while other assets like gold don’t cause such a reaction. If a country wants to hold part of its reserves in BTC that’s also a form of diversification. Especially considering that many countries have lost trust in the dollar as the sole reserve asset.
Maybe it’s not just about economics, but also geopolitics? Because Bitcoin is something that isn’t controlled by traditional institutions, and that scares them.

Unpopular opinion: putting aside IMF's bad reputation, I think it's not unreasonable for a lender to impose certain restrictions on how the money is spent, to decrease the risk of default due to bad investments. Like it or not, Bitcoin is still a highly volatile asset rather than a safe store of value instrument and as such, it makes sense for lenders not to allow borrowers to invest the borrowed money in such.
Now, what are the IMF's true intentions? I don't know. They could be genuinely concerned about the risk of default and security of the loan, but it's also possible they want to use their position to curb Bitcoin as a threat to the traditional financial system.

The El Salvador need to buy more Bitcoin that will worth more since they are the first impression when we talk about countries that are supporting and allowing their citizens to use Bitcoin as legal tender. This is a good move for the El Salvador people because this is going to make the country more richer by the time the price hit $150k.

We ought to see more adoption of Bitcoin soon as the price keeps going bull. There are so many big firms that are buying now that the price is down so they make profits for as long as they are able to hold. No one can stops the flow and we could even see  some bullish candles maybe from the beginning of next week. The bull has not finished creating green candles yet.

Simply because that is not the goal of IMF. IMF’s purpose is to try to provide aid to countries that needs it the most and to help them with their economic growth where possible. Bitcoin, or any other form of investments, ie. precious metals are not meant to simulate economic growth in the long term.

If you require aids and loans, you have better priorities than to be stacking sats. Don’t act like the victim when you’re called out for it. Of course, there are no issues when developed countries like the US proposes it.

they should not be able to dictate any country but they can and should be able to advise other countries what they should or should not do with the money being lent. they do have the right to be concerned as they can't just let give money away and not expect it to be paid back and we know how risky crypto is as an investment so that is probably why imf dictated those advices to el salvador
is this discussion really necessary anymore? didn't they come with an agreement already to receive the funds? will the money be taken back if el salvador continues to buy bitcoin?

If your country's economy is struggling and people's lives are poor, you need to focus on improving the country. By changing economic policies, improving infrastructure, attracting foreign investment, creating jobs for people...rather than investing in a certain asset and expecting it to improve the country's economy.

IMF wants El Salvador to focus on those things to improve the country instead of spending too much time and money on bitcoin. Investing in a highly volatile asset like bitcoin won't solve El Salvador's problems . Not only with bitcoin ,  I believe the IMF would not be happy with El Salvador even if they used all that money to invest in gold , stocks because that is not the way to improve the economy.

Buy more with what money? Their government borrows money from the IMF and others to ensure the survival of the state, and you expect them to buy more than 1 BTC per day, which is over $3 million per month. Even today they start buying ten times more (300 BTC per month), it's not an investment that can save them considering the debt they are in.

What El Salvador failed to do was to buy a lot more BTC from 2021 and in the years after that, so if today instead of 6000+ BTC they had 60 000 BTC, that would be a slightly different story.

IMF will stop pushing El Salvador when other countries also buy bitcoin and make it public. Then the community will be bigger and the IMF will not be fight against everyone. That is why Bukele is strong and keeps going, he knows exactly whats coming. That is exactly what Bitcoin need when others join in. If El Salvador lose this fight, then other countries have a reason “not to buy”, or not to publish it. I am sure that many others have already bought bitcoin.

Honestly, El Salvador’s “Bitcoin experiment” has been mostly a letdown so far.

Most citizens and businesses didn’t really adopt BTC — they had to roll back the law that made Bitcoin acceptance mandatory.

Miners never showed up for the geothermal dream, and there’s no investor gold rush happening either.

Meanwhile, in parts of Africa, people actually use Bitcoin day-to-day — not because of government policy, but because they need it. That’s real grassroots crypto adoption.

It depends. While bitcoin is a potential investment, investing in it is not always the right decision. If investing and holding bitcoin has such great benefits as you say, El-Salvador would have invested in it since 2021, but why do they still need to borrow money from the IMF?

Do you know what El Salvador is facing? They are facing high public debt, budget deficit...and bitcoin cannot help them in this case.


So far, the IMF has not disbursed any loans, I would not be surprised if El Salvador breaks its rules and accepts the IMF's request. Because the economy and people's lives must still come first.

Maybe the IMF does not want El Salvador to be an example that every country will follow because it will clearly make any country able to quickly pay off the loans that the IMF provides and is considered the profit that comes from the bubble. From here we already understand what the IMF task is like and what is clear is that they are worried if the influence or example of El Salvador becomes a new benchmark in the global financial industry.

Anyone who has some knowledge of IMF works understands that the interest rates that they charge are far lower than the global benchmark across the financial institutions. IMF doesn't think that El Salvador can pull themselves out of poverty by using Bitcoin, or similar investments. They are meant for the development of their country, and purchasing Bitcoins doesn't help with that at all.

IMF would love to have countries to pay off their loans ASAP, because both sides stands to benefit. They aren't loan sharks and this is a conspiracy that is clearly disproven.

Will the IMF ever say anything negative about the US having BTC strategic reserves or Pakistan planning to do the same? Of course, this will not be the case because they can blackmail only those small countries that have no choice but to submit and accept all the conditions that have been set for them.

I honestly don't see what kind of battle El Salvador can lose, unless someone still believes that Bitcoin can save them from decades of corruption and economic mismanagement. On the other hand, any country that decides to invest in Bitcoin in any way should do so in the most private way - because otherwise they are not doing themselves any favors if the price rises due to this news.

There's no reasonable reason to why IMF would ask El Salvador not to buy Bitcoin, the country already knows their ground for such investment and the advantage they will get for investing into Bitcoin can not be served by IMF, regardless of the loan they were to give, but the country can not abide by all their terms, at least they also have their own reasons for adopting Bitcoin.

I think they already raised concern towards Pakistan publications, here is a thread (IMF raises concern over Pakistan’s Bitcoin mining power plan (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5545372.msg65436706#msg65436706)) basically I usually think IMF is just an instrument of the US government because they wouldn't say anything regarding the US but they already show concerned for Pakistan.

Whenever it has to do with small or countries with less capacity or power IMF seem to interrupt. IMF intimidate most countries that they support with loans and I guess that's the major regrets any country that is under its loans will face if ever publish bitcoin plans.

I think it's in the loan agreements not to invest in volatile assets, but Bukele knows exactly what he's doing and is going against the agreements to purchase Bitcoin everyday. I am free to predict that the reason he's making their purchases public is because of his Bitcoin City dream, so as to show strong support for Bitcoin which is their second legal tender and keep watering the interests of potential investors in Bitcoin City. Aside this I don't think there's any reason a government should make their accumulation public since Bitcoin is better treated with great anonymity and privacy.

This is a good move by El Salvador because they are confident that the decision they are taking will be very beneficial. A country that has control over its financial value will be much easier to determine the steps and on the other hand this can make them grow faster in terms of the country's economy. The IMF can issue any instructions but the decision made by El Salvador is final because they are one of the to adopt bitcoin as an investment asset and as a legal transaction tool.

If they can't stop then there is no point in issuing instructions to stop El Salvador from continuing to buy bitcoin. In certain conditions they praise the economic progress of the country, but the IMF is too afraid to say that Bitcoin is one of the best assets ever.

This is not a new news or discussion that is being talked about but the IMF banning El Salvador with its Bitcoin has been going on for a long time because Nayib Bukele is still holding on to his belief in their adoption of Bitcoin.
Data-wise and logically, the IMF gives a reason that makes sense when people read it. The problem is whether they believe it when they juxtapose what the IMF says with the reality in El Salvador.

It is true that IMF offers lower interest rates than regular banks aiming to help countries grow rather than make profit so calling them loan sharks isn't accurate.

However saying there is no conspiracy at all might be too simple as IMF mostly requires countries to follow certain economic rules that can be tough on their people and poor countries do not always have other options.

For instance IMF is wary of El Salvador Bitcoin choice because they prefer stable investments for development like building roads or schools as compare to these digital currencies. So while IMF wants to help its methods and expectations can clash with new ideas like using Bitcoin and El Salvador is facing this and my country Pakistan is facing now after announcing 2000MW electricity for Bitcoin Mining.

Again, poor countries are not forced to hold their currencies in a certain currency. In fact, any country that is less well off is likely not going to do so, because it doesn’t benefit their monetary system. This is not a conspiracy either.

You practically outlined the clear reason why IMF is against this entire proposal in the first place. Sustainable economic growth is not achieved in the long term by being exposed to unnecessary risks with uncertain returns. IMF is absolutely right in enforcing this and there is no argument that Bitcoin could be better than developing their subpar economic system. This isn’t a gamble that anyone, much less a country that is so heavily reliant on loans and aid should take.

The IMF has the audacity to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries it lends money to. I'm glad Bukele is taking a stand. El Salvador's BTC reserve is in good shape and they are still buying. When many countries start doing the same thing, the IMF will stop interfering in these matters. If they think the debt will not be repaid, they are wrong. At least it won't be because of BTC but other economical or political reasons.

IMF does not grant loans without collateral, and this is its policy, which everyone knows, since only countries in a dire economic crisis borrow from it. What guarantees it will repay the loan plus interest? The only guarantee is the country's commitment to implementing structural reforms that limit public spending and direct the loan toward clear objectives, which in El Salvador's case is closing the budget deficit. I'm not playing devil's advocate here because I'm aware of the danger these loans pose to national sovereignty, but we must approach the issue rationally and logically.

Don't go to the IMF if you can't afford its terms. That's easy.

Ironic that El Salvador is capable of finding the resources to spend on purchasing Bitcoin, which will serve as a reserve currency, but at the same time, it has a budget deficit for which it has found no solution other than going to the IMF to request a loan. This is absurd. If the economic crisis in El Salvador continues under these conditions and policies, we can expect to see El Salvador in the Paris Club or the London Club, where it will lose its sovereignty completely.

Even if other countries buy Bitcoin, the IMF will always be against El Salvador, and other countries that once requested funds from them because the IMF rules and regulations in terms of funding is not about helping the countries they give some funds but to enslave them with unfair restriction and force of power control (the do this mostly for Africa countries and that's why their leader is enslave).
This is modern slavery that most countries are experiencing from the IMF and the World Bank. I believe this is one of the reasons that pushed Satoshi into the creation of Bitcoin, and I like that the El Salvador president never takes them seriously, but I hope he's well prepared for the consequences.

The El Salvador Bitcoin adoption level is not experiencing a major adoption among citizens, as expected, and it is normal for most people not to trust an asset created by someone whose identity is not known, and most of its activities are online.
If we also think about the techy aspect of Bitcoin, it may be a drawback to most people because they are used to spending time doing something that gives them fun, watching movies, etc. But learn new innovative tech is a no go area for most people after MSc, MA, etc.

Africa may be the grassroots of crypto adoption, but it currently lacks good tech, and has 10% business acceptance of crypto as payment

But here’s the question - if the IMF is truly focused on helping countries and stimulating their growth, then why is it so scared of a technology that can provide economic independence and a new level of financial freedom? Bitcoin isn’t just an investment - it’s a tool for those seeking an alternative to outdated systems.
And yes, aid is important, but can’t we also think about long-term sustainability? To me, this isn’t just about “stacking sats,” it’s a strategic choice. Time will tell.

Nope they are not afraid for countries to growth that somehow good for them especially that the country experiencing growth would have more higher chance to pay their loans to them.

I think IMF just want to be relevant and controlling to the nations so that they can always insert their agenda's and policy to manipulate the mind of the officials of certain countries. But now they see that they cannot control those officials trying to engage on Bitcoin and I guess more countries would provably follow them especially that they see El Salvador succeed more and gain profits from their investment also other things done on Bitcoin.

Bitcoin doesn't provide economic independence or financial freedom. The variability of Bitcoin prices means that the economy is directly exposed to the huge fluctuation of Bitcoin prices, and that is a problem especially when the Bitcoin prices can potentially fluctuate 10-20% in a single given day. This exposes the monetary system to unnecessary risk. In addition, this also further exacerbate the issue of giving up monetary control and reducing the ability of the country to enact economic policies through their monetary system. This has both short and long term repercussions, and they aren't good for a country that small and reliant on foreign aid.

It's perfectly fair for IMF to be wanting their debtors to be pursuing known and safe areas of economic growth. This provides a more sound reason for them to continue lending to such countries and directly reduces their reliance on similar foreign aid in the future.

Here's a quick reality check: Poverty is rampant in El Salvador, Bitcoin hasn't helped much in their development of the GDP. In fact, even if they were to put all their funds in Bitcoin and Bitcoin were to become far more valuable, the effect would be one-off and it is obviously not sustainable. In comparison, the historical development of countries has shown far better results.

If you want to try a new, radical and unproven method to improve your country's economic standings, you should use your own money. The ground sentiments in El Salvador is that their life hasn't improved, and that they are not convinced that Bitcoin is the solution. Don't call out IMF if you want to continue to buy Bitcoins, they can lend to whoever they want. They can seek another willing lender if they would love to continue stacking sats.

The IMF, the lending institution, has repeatedly put El Salvador in such a situation while providing loans, preventing it from buying BTC. But the government of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, knows exactly that it is possible to achieve the greatest success in accepting Bitcoin and holding Bitcoin for the long term and become economically self-sufficient.
Despite repeated IMF prohibitions, the country of El Salvador has not backed down from buying Bitcoin and is buying one Bitcoin every day. However, not only is El Salvador pressuring the country, but Pakistan is also repeatedly putting the country in a situation where it is being prevented from accepting Bitcoin.

El Salvador's bitcoin reserves are doing well but their economy is in pretty bad shape and if bitcoin reserves can't save the national economy, what's the point of focusing so much on it?

The IMF is not wrong in thinking that El Salvador cannot pay its debts or improve its economy by focusing solely on bitcoin. The proof is that they have been investing and adopting bitcoin nationwide for the past 4 years and the end result they got is higher national debt and the economy not only has not improved but is facing more challenges.

Investing in bitcoin is not bad, but when a country is in a state of high public debt, the economy and people's lives are in trouble. They should focus on boosting the economy with economic policies...instead of relying on an unstable asset and thinking it can save them.

For a small country like El Salvador with a bad economy, seeing bitcoin so valuable is the best investment that can be made. Of course, people who don't want the financial system to change and who have old ideas don't think it's right to buy bitcoin and try to block it. But at the end of the day, the winner will always be bitcoin.
That's why I respect El Salvador so much and I support them in this. they will surely experience very good things for the country one day :)

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To see the fruits flourish, you need to plant them ahead of time - and nobody does it better than El Sal currently.

El Salvador passed a bill for a strategic reserve of Bitcoin before the IMF requested a Bitcoin loan for El Salvador.
But why did the IMF issue a final ban on El Salvador's Bitcoin investment? This is a matter for El Salvador alone.
The IMF is constantly buying one bitcoin per day, violating its terms. Whether the IMF provides a loan or not, El Salvador will continue to hold its bitcoin reserves.

Not everyone will be winners though, there are investors who got nervous before and sold at at lost. The winner is those who are smart enough to know that holding Bitcoin for a long time is the game here, just like the rest of us and El Salvador. They've already amasses a lot of Bitcoin already and they are in the profit but they are not going to sell and instead, continue to buy as long as Bukele is the leader of the country. For the IMF, I do agree, they don't want this country to be financially reliant like investing on Bitcoin that's why they wanted to block it as any cost. Just imagine if every country under their watch would simply buy Bitcoin and then in the next couple of years profited a lot and was able to pay the debts in no time. It will simply turn the world upside down, and that they don't want that to happen.

It's not without challenges, is it? The IMF wants you to be poor and loyal to them for loans

Who knows that Bukele didn't do that? We only know what Nayib Bukele lets us know  ;)

Whatever the IMF concerns, Nayib Bukele has his own master plan & remains steadfast. Ignoring the pressure of the IMF Bukele has continued their daily Bitcoin purchases. Till now Nayib Bukele has been able to grab approx 6,111 BTC officially for his people. We will never know how much they actually stored unofficially 8)

Since the IMF wants to intervene and is trying to force them to stop buying Bitcoin and stop mining activities in the public sector.
So it is time for Nayib Bukele to focus his future strategies on creating regulatory environment that encourages private sector involvement & responsible adoption.

Because they don't want more countries to have alternatives, that's basically all to it.

And where to start if not in smaller countries that are more inclined to something bold and interesting regarding the crypto space..

IMF will keep putting pressure on El Salvador until the country agrees to reduce its involvement in Bitcoin if they keep asking for financialassistance. The country would have to seek other solutions to its economic problems so that it would not keep depending on loans from the IMF. Another option could be seeking financial assistance from other international lending organisations.

Creating a favourable environment for private organisations to invest in the Bitcoin sector is another option.  Private companies with close ties with the government can invest in mining and other Bitcoin related businesses.

I am much more surprised on hearing that El-Salvador made the move to lend money again from IMF, though am not to blame them, because they have a lot to cover up concerning developing their economy and the most versatile means is bitcoin for now, which is evident enough seen in boosting their economy, this shows that they know what they are doing, because they go by what is going to be of profits to them and not to hearken on what IMF dictates for them.


That is why they are investing much in bitcoin, so as to secure and safe the future from any dependencies, it wasn't easy, because to invest also requires financial aid, as money in volved for you to buy a profitable asset like bitcoin and hold over time, then pay back in fiat after taking your profits.

I wouldn't think the GDP would be much more bigger than what it is now due to BTC, but surely - there are creams to gather from such an activity, and it brings the most awareness to other countries, especially.

The IMF has repeatedly prohibited El Salvador from taking dollars from government funds and investing them in Bitcoin. Despite repeated prohibitions, El Salvador continues to invest in Bitcoin. However, it is not possible to justify the extent to which El Salvador's restrictions on obtaining loans are reasonable. However, the IMF may not provide loans if the country continues to make such investments from its reserves due to non-compliance with the loan conditions. However, in the case of Pakistan, the issue is different because in that case, Pakistan may get a loan to build a 2000 megawatt power project for mining and El Salvador's strategic investment in Bitcoin are not the same thing. However, if the IMF includes this issue in their terms and conditions, then Pakistan, like El Salvador, will have a difficult time getting a loan.

I love Bukele, if I was an El Salvadorian I’d feel lucky to have him as my countries leader. El Salvador will thrive as a country within 20 years. It will become a great tourist destination, Bukele will go down as maybe their greatest ever leader.

I like him as President for not only supporting or making Bitcoin as their legal tender. But also for reason that he made lots of progressive decision which help El Salvador to grow as nation.

We see the narrative has been change since before they are been labelled as murder capital of the world due to gangs are wildly doing crimes out there. Now their country became a tourist destination and business hub under his lead. That's one of the best changes he made on El Salvador and we can see their country is progressing a lot under his administration. To lucky for El Salvadoran that they made a great leader that fix their nation.

He will be remembered for sure for what he did.

Even though we look mostly at BTC-related action, there is much to do in other departments if they want their accumulation to go swiftly, and not to depend on IMF that much.

The IMF is a tool of those who love fiat currency, so that they can rob everyone at 2-10% per year without it being as easily detected.

Especially considering smaller countries, where they can affect things much more drastically than anywhere else..

When someone realizes that an important decision they make can change their future, they no longer care about contracts or anything else... they just do what they want.
The name of this country has reached so many people today simply because they prioritized Bitcoin.
The belief that Bitcoin will always have a good future and that it will give people good feedback is why they started holding Bitcoin again, ignoring the IMF agreement.