🟠 IMF Clears $140M for El Salvador, Confirms Bitcoin Buys Used No Public Funds
The IMF has confirmed that all Bitcoin added to El Salvador's official holdings since June 2025 was funded entirely through private donations, with no public money used for accumulation.
The confirmation came as part of a staff-level agreement covering the combined second and third reviews of El Salvador's 40-month Extended Fund Facility. Subject to IMF Executive Board approval and completion of agreed prior actions, the country is set to receive approximately $140 million — part of a broader $1.4 billion loan program. El Salvador has continued acquiring roughly 1 BTC per day.
The IMF's position marks a shift from a year ago, when the fund had stated the Bitcoin reserve total had not moved and was only shuffling coins between government wallets. The latest review clears a key compliance hurdle, with the fund now satisfied that Bitcoin accumulation has not drawn on public finances.
The broader crypto market added roughly $500 billion in August, pushing total market capitalization above $2.7 trillion as conditions improved sharply across the board.
Zcash posted the standout gain of the month at 82%, leading the altcoin recovery. The primary driver was macroeconomic policy — specifically, the U.S. Treasury's decision to double bond buybacks, supported by comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bitcoin also rebounded, moving toward year-end profitability after a difficult start to the period.
The August move underlines how sensitive crypto valuations remain to macro policy signals, with privacy-focused assets like Zcash capable of outsized moves during broader risk-on recoveries.
🟠 British man recovers 61 Bitcoin lost since 2014 exchange collapse
A UK investor has recovered 61 BTC — now worth approximately $5 million — after losing access to the coins when an early crypto exchange collapsed in 2014.
The original investment was just £1,500. Over 12 years, the holder pursued recovery efforts that ultimately succeeded, turning a modest early bet into a multimillion-pound windfall. He has said he plans to use the funds to buy a larger home.
The case highlights both the long-term value potential of early Bitcoin holdings and the real risks of exchange custody — a lesson that remains relevant as centralized platforms continue to dominate retail crypto access.
🟠 Bitcoin rallies as Fed's Waller backs rate pause
Bitcoin and broader crypto markets moved sharply higher after Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller signaled he could support holding interest rates steady.
The rally triggered a significant short squeeze, with $415 million in short positions liquidated as prices moved against bearish bets. Stocks and crypto rose in tandem, reflecting the market-wide relief at the prospect of a rate pause.
Macro signals from the Fed continue to be a key driver of crypto price action, with any hint of policy easing quickly translating into risk-on sentiment across digital assets.
🌐 ECB Official Calls for Central Bank Money to Go On-Chain
European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel has called for central banks to bring money on-chain, arguing it could modernize the financial system.
Schnabel highlighted three key benefits: faster settlement, programmable monetary policy, and improved interoperability between financial systems. She also pointed to two active ECB initiatives — Pontes and Appia — as concrete steps toward putting central bank money on distributed ledger infrastructure.
The push from a senior ECB official signals growing institutional interest in tokenized central bank money, a development with direct implications for stablecoins and the broader digital asset ecosystem.
🏦 Sberbank to Accept BTC, ETH and USDT as Loan Collateral
Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, is preparing to expand its crypto-backed lending program to include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether's USDT as collateral for loans.
The move follows Russia's introduction of new regulated crypto trading rules. Sberbank's full rollout still depends on approval from the Bank of Russia, and the initiative builds on an existing digital asset loan pilot already underway at the institution. The government holds a majority stake in Sberbank.
As Russia formalizes its crypto regulatory framework, one of its most systemically important banks moving toward multi-asset crypto collateral marks a notable step in institutional adoption within the country.