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Czech National Bank Buys $1 Million in Bitcoin in Central-Bank First

The central bank created a $1 million, non‑reserve pilot to test operations around holding digital assets over the next two to three years.

Overview

  • The Board-approved portfolio, cleared on Oct. 30, holds mostly bitcoin plus a USD stablecoin and a tokenized deposit bought via an exchange, with execution details undisclosed.
  • The holdings are kept outside international reserves, the amount will not be increased, and an assessment is planned in roughly two to three years.
  • The pilot will test end‑to‑end operations including key custody, multi‑level approvals, crisis simulations, security mechanisms, anti‑money‑laundering checks, and related accounting.
  • The CNB characterizes the move as experimental rather than a reserve policy change, noting the portfolio represents about 0.0006% of total assets.
  • Governor Aleš Michl first proposed exploring bitcoin in January, a move that drew skepticism from ECB officials, with the CNB’s non‑euro status allowing latitude for this trial.