IMF confirms El Salvador’s bitcoin growth was funded by private donations, not public money

The IMF confirmed that El Salvador’s increase in bitcoin holdings was funded by private donations—primarily from US-based non-profit entities—and did not involve public funds. The IMF said these donations did not affect the government’s public finances or budget. The key implication is that fiscal risk tied to state bitcoin accumulation is reduced, but the country’s bitcoin strategy remains dependent on private actors, raising transparency, sustainability, and oversight concerns.