El Salvador's Bitcoin holdings pass 7,800 BTC with daily buys

In short

• The government added one Bitcoin on 16 October 2026, taking its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to 7,807 BTC, according to Bitcoin Magazine on X.
• PANews reported on 18 October 2026 the total reached 7,808.37 BTC, worth $638m, after eight Bitcoin added in a week.
• The country made Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021 and buys one Bitcoin daily regardless of price, according to Odaily and PANews.
• The IMF said post-June 2025 additions came from private donations and cleared 1,796 coins while releasing $138m in loans on 2 October.

El Salvador's reserve passes 7,800 BTC

El Salvador's government added one more Bitcoin to its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on 16 October 2026, taking total holdings to 7,807 BTC, according to Bitcoin Magazine on X. PANews put the balance at 7,808.37 BTC, worth $638m, as of 18 October 2026, after eight Bitcoin were added over the previous seven days and 31 over the previous 30 days.

The country became the first to make Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021, according to Odaily. Its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is the government vehicle for accumulating the cryptocurrency, and it has kept buying since then.

One Bitcoin a day, not a one-off

The latest figures point to a one-Bitcoin-a-day routine rather than a one-off trade. The seven-day and 30-day additions given by PANews match that pace, with purchases continuing through market dips instead of pausing.

What the IMF has said

The government's Bitcoin buying has also drawn attention from the IMF. The IMF said on 2 September 2026 that Bitcoin added since June 2025 came from private donations rather than public funds, and its executive board cleared 1,796 coins while releasing $138m in loans on 2 October 2026.

How X read the milestone

On X, users read the milestone as evidence of the country's discipline. Phoenix Trading Desk (@investorphoenix) observed that the government keeps buying one Bitcoin each day. CORN FED (@TheGovtHatesU) said the IMF must be pleased. Satoshi Drops (@SatoshiDropsHQ) put the 7,807 BTC at about $635m, or roughly $81,000 a coin, and called consistency the whole strategy. RP (@RPTIME), CoinTalk (@CoinTalkX) and 8lends (@eightlends) said the reserve argument was understood early and that conviction does not waver. The Bitcoin Magazine post had been liked 1,093 times and reposted 157 times by 07:18 UTC on 18 October 2026.

Questions readers ask

When did El Salvador make Bitcoin legal tender?

The country became the first to make Bitcoin legal tender in September 2021, according to Odaily. Its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has since grown past 7,800 BTC through daily purchases.

Is El Salvador buying one Bitcoin every day?

The figures point to a daily pace. PANews reported eight Bitcoin were added over seven days and 31 over 30 days. Phoenix Trading Desk said on X that the government just keeps buying one Bitcoin every day.

Our view

El Salvador's Bitcoin holdings have now crossed 7,800 BTC, and the more important detail is not the figure but the method. The country has built a reserve of 7,808.37 BTC, worth $638m, by buying one coin a day regardless of price, continuing through market dips. That consistency turns a volatile asset into a predictable national commitment. The IMF has had to accommodate this by classifying recent additions as private donations and clearing loans. In my view, El Salvador is a clear example of a government treating Bitcoin as a long-term reserve rather than a trading position. If the daily purchases continue through future price swings, the policy will become harder for other governments to dismiss. A pause, by contrast, would show that the commitment has limits.

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— Keshav Aggarwal