- Czech apex bank governor Aleš Michl may lead the Bitcoin reserve strategy.
- With Trump’s EO on the crypto stockpile, more central banks will likely make a crucial pivot soon.
The Czech Republic has caught the ongoing Bitcoin (BTC) reserve bug spreading across several nations. Czech National Bank (CNB) Governor Aleš Michl recently revealed plans to purchase Bitcoin to build a strategic reserve. The governor was inspired by President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a reserve for the cryptocurrency industry.
CNB Governor’s Bitcoin Reserve Proposal
During a recent interview with the Financial Times, Governor Michl announced his plans to launch a Bitcoin reserve. The Governor proposed that the Czech National Bank should hold at least 5% of its total 140 billion euro reserves in Bitcoin. This would indicate a whopping 7 billion euro from a single European bank.
Michl remarked that a central bank’s investment in a Bitcoin ETF could impact the BTC price. “Even for the Bitcoin market, five percent [of our assets]is a lot of money,” he stated.
According to the Czech National Bank, 5% of its foreign reserves in Bitcoin held over the last decade would have boosted annual returns by 3.5 percentage points. The central bank, however, acknowledged the prevalence of extreme volatility in the Bitcoin market.
Still, Michl emphasized that industry giants like BlackRock recorded success in 2024 with the launch of regulated Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).
The Czech National Bank and other major hubs like Hong Kong are following in the footsteps of the US. Michl claims Donald Trump’s recent executive order to create a digital asset stockpile and his deregulation efforts will increase Bitcoin adoption.
At least 15 US states have declared their intention to propose legislation creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve, as detailed in CNF’s last news piece. Arizona is at the forefront with plans to include Bitcoin in public pension funds for diversification and risk mitigation. Moreover, Senator Lummis proposed a U.S. Treasury Bitcoin reserve to integrate crypto into national policy, as noted in our earlier post.
So far, no central bank has declared purchasing Bitcoin. US Fed Chair Jerome Powell confirmed last month that the central bank is still awaiting approvals from Congress. Central banks usually hold reserves in safe assets like US treasuries, gold, and bonds. However, Michl said his views on Bitcoin are very different from those of his peers.
Bitcoin Faces Volatility Ahead of Fed Announcement
Notably, the Bitcoin market is experiencing price fluctuations on the daily chart. As of this writing, BTC price was trading at $102,471, down 0.22% in the last 24 hours. The coin even touched a low of $102,270 before rising to current levels. Also, the trading volume plummeted by 35.9% to $42.2 billion.
Meanwhile, volatility is also witnessed in the derivatives market, influenced by Friday’s upcoming crypto market options expiry. The FOMC meeting scheduled for Wednesday will play a key role in determining Bitcoin’s future price trajectory. Analysts predict a dovish Fed stand while investors move money to safe-haven assets amid market uncertainty.
