Czech central bank breaks new ground by adding crypto to reserves

Central banks around the world have been exploring the idea of adding cryptocurrency to their balance sheets in the past year. The Czech Republic’s Czech National Bank  (CNB) became the first to do so in late 2025.

In mid-November of 2025, the Czech Republic’s central bank officially became the first in the world to directly purchase cryptocurrency. This experimental investment by the Czech National Bank, which rang to the tune of $1 million, marked a monumental step forward in the global adoption of cryptocurrencies by nation-states.

In a press release by the CNB regarding the matter, they stated, “The CNB has created a test portfolio of digital assets based on blockchain. In addition to Bitcoin, the portfolio will include a test investment in the form of a USD stablecoin and a tokenized deposit on the blockchain.”

This decision by the CNB was made on the heels of growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies by different corporations and hedge funds internationally. Their goal in this action by the Czech central bank is to be adequately prepared for the rapidly changing global financial landscape.

Potential future digital asset adoption by Central Banks

The rising U.S. National deficit has become a growing concern for many central banks across the world. The U.S. Dollar remains the global reserve currency, yet many countries have become weary of its instability and are thus seeking to diversify their balance sheets away from it in preparation for what the future may bring.

Looming global financial uncertainty has typically led central banks to stockpile precious metals like gold and silver as one of the primary vessels for diversification. However, considering the mass adoption and legitimization of cryptocurrency in recent years, many central banks have been eyeing digital assets like Bitcoin as a new kind of safeguard.

Both the Central Bank of Brazil and Taiwan have reportedly been discussing the idea of moving forward with adding Bitcoin to their balance sheet, although nothing has been finalized yet. Legislation has also been introduced in the Philippines that proposes their central bank begin strategically buying a fixed amount of Bitcoin over the next five years.

Currently, the European Central Bank has expressed opposition to the idea of buying cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. This is mainly due to concerns over the volatility of the asset class. Alternatively, they have controversially been laying down the framework to release a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), showing their faith in the potential of blockchain technology itself.

The United States has been one of the primary countries leading the charge for the legitimization of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies under the Trump Administration. The White House has already moved forward with plans for a Government Strategic U.S. Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile.

Despite this, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank under Chairman Jerome Powell remains largely opposed to the idea of adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet. Powell’s term as chair is over in May of 2026, which could mean a shift in this sentiment towards cryptocurrencies, depending on who is selected by Trump to take his place.

The Trump Administration has been very pro-crypto thus far, so there is a high likelihood that whoever is appointed as the next Fed chair would be aligned with the administration’s position on the asset class.

The case for Central Banks to purchase Bitcoin

Deutsche Bank published a report in late September of 2025 that discussed a potential future in 2030 where both gold and Bitcoin could coexist as fundamental central bank reserve assets. The report cites that both assets serve as strong investments due to properties such as scarcity and high liquidity, as well as “limited correlation to traditional assets.” It also concludes that de-dollarization poses a strong use case for BTC, as a weakening dollar has led to growing investment.

Increasing regulatory clarity and institutional interest in Bitcoin have gradually made governments more interested in the asset’s economic potential as well. Coingecko reports that currently, 35 countries have Bitcoin treasury holdings as of January 2026.

As global Bitcoin adoption has grown over the years among corporations, governments, and retail investors alike, its annual volatility continues to decrease as well. Between 2020 and late 2025, the annualized price volatility of Bitcoin has dropped from roughly 80% to 50%. If these trends continue, central banks and governments around the world may be more inclined to add BTC to their balance sheets as it becomes more common and less risky for them to do so.

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