El Salvador Challenges The IMF And Continues Its Accumulation Of Bitcoin!

In an unprecedented financial tug-of-war, El Salvador is betting everything on the global chessboard. Despite warnings from the IMF and a conditional loan of $1.4 billion, Nayib Bukele persists: the country keeps buying more bitcoin. A risky bet, but one they embrace.

Bukele vs IMF: a duel at the top of global finance

On March 3, 2025, the IMF grants a historic loan to El Salvador… with a shocking clause: stop the purchase of bitcoin. In exchange for vital funds for its economy, the government must renounce its crypto strategy. A demand outright rejected by Bukele. “It won’t stop,” he claims, announcing the daily addition of BTC to national reserves.

Yet, the agreement signed by the Central Bank of El Salvador promised to halt acquisitions. A paradox? Rather a calculated maneuver.

El Salvador has quietly accumulated 6,101 BTC since 2021, openly defying the IMF’s recommendations. “If it didn’t stop when the world turned its back on us, why now?” asks Bukele. A slap in the face for the institution, which now demands total transparency on public wallets.

Between the lines, the message is clear: El Salvador is using the IMF loan as an economic shield while maintaining its sovereign quest for bitcoin. A double-edged strategy, where each BTC purchased widens the gap with international creditors.

Bitcoin or bust: the underbelly of an economic revolution

Since 2021, El Salvador has been betting on bitcoin as a lever for transformation. The goal? Reduce dependence on the dollar, attract crypto investors, and redesign its financial identity. With a bitcoin acquired daily, the country stocks a reserve valued at nearly $400 million. But at what cost?

Criticism is flying: market volatility, opaqueness of transactions, risk of sanctions. The IMF warns about “macro-economic vulnerabilities,” while local farmers denounce disconnected priorities.

Yet, Bukele stands firm. His shocking argument: bitcoin is insurance against inflation and a tool for emancipation. “We are making history,” he asserts, transforming the country into a monetary laboratory.

As a result, El Salvador becomes a symbol. Radical bitcoiners see it as a model, while institutions regard it as a case study of the dangers of financial disobedience. Meanwhile, purchases continue, funded by public funds… and perhaps by the IMF loan itself. Cruel irony: the funds intended to stabilize the economy fuel a dynamics deemed unstable. And yet, with Trump’s tariffs, even the American markets are faltering.