The Czech National Bank (CNB) has made a groundbreaking move by establishing a $1 million digital asset portfolio, marking the first time a central bank has purchased Bitcoin. Announced on November 13, 2025, the pilot program was approved by the CNB's Bank Board on October 30 and includes Bitcoin (BTC), a U.S. dollar-denominated stablecoin, and a tokenized deposit.
Governor Aleš Michl revealed that the idea originated in January 2025, with the goal of evaluating Bitcoin's potential for diversifying reserves and gaining practical experience with blockchain-based processes. "The aim was to test decentralised bitcoin from the central bank’s perspective and to evaluate its potential role in diversifying our reserves," Michl stated. The CNB emphasized that this is a test project focused on learning, with no plans to actively increase the investment or add cryptocurrencies to its international reserves.
Simultaneously, the CNB launched CNB Lab, an innovation hub to test emerging technologies, including AI and digital payments. The bank will provide public updates on the pilot and deliver a comprehensive assessment in approximately two to three years. Additionally, the CNB consulted with the European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), concluding that directly held Bitcoin is not classified as a reserve asset.
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