El Salvador Purchases 80 Additional Bitcoin at $19K, President Bukele Says

The last purchase by the Central American country had been in May.

AccessTimeIconJul 1, 2022 at 1:41 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:34 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

El Salvador purchased 80 more bitcoin (BTC) at $19,000 each, President Nayib Bukele said on Thursday.

  • “Bitcoin is the future. Thank you for selling cheap,” Bukele tweeted, and accompanied the text with screenshots of 40 purchases made on Thursday that totaled $1.52 million.
  • El Salvador's last bitcoin purchase was in May, according to Bukele, when the Central American country acquired 500 coins for a total of $15.3 million, at a price of $30,744 each.
  • According to CoinDesk data based on Bukele's announcements, El Salvador is 55.03% down on its bitcoin bet. From September to date, the country has acquired 2,301 coins for a total of $103.9 million, but its portfolio is currently worth $46.6 million.
  • In May, El Salvador Finance Minister Alejandro Zelaya said the bitcoin amount the country had at that time represented less than 0.5% of its annual budget, adding that the bitcoin losses posed “extremely minimal” risk to the country’s fiscal position.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Andrés Engler

Andrés Engler was a CoinDesk editor based in Argentina, where he covers the Latin American crypto ecosystem. He holds BTC and ETH.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.