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Bitcoin reserves are emerging as a strategic option for some countries, offering diversification, inflation protection, and financial sovereignty despite regulatory and volatility concerns.
The 2024-2025 memecoin hype and rising crypto adoption have prompted governments to explore crypto reserves, with nations like El Salvador and the Central African Republic leading the way.
Beyond holding, countries could actively earn rewards through staking platforms like Tonstakers, turning digital reserves into productive, yield-generating assets.

Tonstakers allows any user, even without prior experience, to start accumulating TON staking rewards at ~4% APY and be ready for any positive developments to happen for crypto in the world.

The idea of a national cryptocurrency reserve, like a Bitcoin reserve, still sits outside mainstream policy discussions. While Bitcoin (BTC) has gained traction as a store of value among retail and institutional investors, most governments have stayed on the sidelines. No major economy officially includes digital assets in its reserves. Why is that? And what is Bitcoin reserve anyway? It’s when a country saves up crypto like it does with cash or gold.

Why Countries Don’t Hold Cryptocurrencies: Why Skip Bitcoin Reserve?

The most common barriers are regulatory uncertainty and institutional skepticism. Global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank have warned against the adoption of cryptocurrencies due to their price volatility and perceived lack of intrinsic value. Many central banks are restricted by legal frameworks that define reserve assets narrowly, usually limited to fiat currencies, bonds, or gold—so why use Bitcoin reserve when rules don’t allow it?

There’s also the issue of volatility. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies have experienced 50% or more price swings within short time frames. For risk-averse monetary authorities, such instability is hard to justify. Plus, prejudices and political resistance play a role. Crypto is still tied to speculation, illicit finance, and unregulated markets in many places, making leaders ask – why use Bitcoin reserve if it’s risky?

Why Countries Could Benefit from Crypto Reserves: How to Start Bitcoin Reserve

Despite the concerns, holding crypto reserves could provide strategic benefits:

Diversification: Crypto assets provide exposure to a new asset class that does not correlate directly with traditional financial instruments.
Inflation Hedge: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have fixed supplies, making them potential hedges against fiat currency debasement.
Financial Freedom: Crypto reserves are not controlled by foreign governments or central banks, reducing exposure to sanctions and capital controls.
Innovation Signal: Holding digital assets would send a powerful message that a country is open to new tech and economic models.

These perks could matter to smaller countries wanting less reliance on big currencies like the US dollar. So, how to start Bitcoin reserve? It’s about making a plan to buy and hold it safely.

How a National Crypto Reserve Could Work

Establishing a Bitcoin reserve or crypto reserve would need a clear legal and institutional framework. Central banks or sovereign wealth funds could be authorized to purchase, custody, and manage crypto assets. Here’s how to start Bitcoin reserve step-by-step:

Legislative support to classify digital assets as valid reserve components.
Custody infrastructure, either self-hosted or through partnerships with secure institutional-grade custodians.
Risk management protocols, including caps on allocation, diversification across assets, and periodic rebalancing.
Transparency mechanisms, like publishing reserve holdings and valuation methodologies.

A government might start by allocating a small percentage (e.g., 1-3%) of its foreign reserves into digital assets as a pilot program. This would allow gradual integration without overexposure.

Which Cryptocurrencies Might Be Included? What Crypto for Reserves?

While Bitcoin is the most obvious candidate due to its market dominance and fixed supply, a diversified crypto reserve might also include:

Ethereum (ETH): The most widely used smart contract platform, with robust developer activity and DeFi adoption.
Solana (SOL): Known for its high-speed, low-cost transactions, Solana has built a strong ecosystem for decentralized applications.
TON (The Open Network): Backed by Telegram’s infrastructure and growing community, TON is designed for scalability and user-friendly blockchain services.

Each of these assets serves a different role in the crypto economy, providing balance between store of value, utility, and technical innovation. A Bitcoin reserve could also mix in stablecoins or other digital assets, depending on what a country wants. So, what crypto for reserves? It depends on the goal!

National Crypto Holdings: Which Countries Have Bitcoin Reserve?

The idea of holding cryptocurrencies at the national level is slowly shifting from theory to practice. While most countries still rely on traditional reserves like gold and foreign currency, a handful have begun to explore or actively hold digital assets. Which countries have Bitcoin reserve already?

The most well-known example is El Salvador, which declared Bitcoin legal tender in 2021. The government has since accumulated over 6,000 BTC for its national treasury. These holdings are part of a broader strategy to attract crypto investment and promote financial inclusion.

The Central African Republic also passed legislation in 2022 recognizing Bitcoin as legal tender, with plans to issue a national crypto hub. While direct crypto holdings are not fully disclosed, government interest in digital assets is public.

In 2025, the United States signed a decree on the creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and stockpiling some other cryptocurrencies.

In addition, reports suggest countries like Venezuela, Russia, and Iran have engaged with crypto, often through mining or unofficial reserves, mainly to bypass sanctions and access international markets. Though these activities are not always transparent, they reflect growing state-level involvement in the crypto economy.

Beyond Holding: What Else Can Countries Do? What Is Staking Crypto?

Holding crypto in reserves is just the beginning. With DeFi infrastructure maturing, nations could go a step further by putting idle digital assets to work.

One example is staking. Countries holding PoS-based cryptocurrencies like TON could stake their assets using secure platforms such as Tonstakers. By doing so, they not only contribute to network security but also earn onchain rewards without selling their assets. What is staking crypto? It’s like putting your coins to work to earn more coins!

This could turn reserves into active financial tools:

Stake-to-earn: Countries can earn consistent rewards on held assets.
Lend through DeFi: Assets could be loaned out on decentralized platforms for interest.
Liquidity provisioning: LSTs like tsTON can be used in DeFi to support local fintech initiatives or crypto-based aid distribution.

This approach merges asset security with capital efficiency, creating new value layers for national treasuries.

Should Countries Launch Their Own CBDCs? What Is CBDC?

The rise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) is another puzzle piece. Over 100 countries are exploring CBDCs, with nations like China (e-CNY) and Nigeria (eNaira) already launching pilots. What is CBDC? It’s digital money made by a country’s own bank, not free like Bitcoin.

CBDCs allow governments to issue digital versions of their fiat currency, enabling more direct monetary control, faster payments, and better financial tracking. But these systems are usually centralized, raising questions about privacy and censorship.

Whether CBDCs will be compatible with public blockchains is a complex issue. Most CBDCs are designed for permissioned environments, but there are signs of convergence. Some designs propose interoperability layers where CBDCs could interact with public chains via bridges or wrapped tokens.

In such a future, holding and using public crypto (like BTC or ETH) alongside a sovereign CBDC could create hybrid financial ecosystems. Governments might use public chains for global transactions, while CBDCs handle domestic use cases.

How Bitcoin Reserves Could Change Crypto Prices: Bitcoin Prices and Reserves

If countries jump into Bitcoin reserves, it could shake up the crypto world:

Prices Jump: Big countries buying Bitcoin would push Bitcoin prices way up fast.
Calmer Market: More serious players might stop the wild price swings over time.
More Believers: If governments use crypto, people might trust it more, bringing in new buyers.
New Rules: Countries might make crypto rules for countries tighter, changing how it all works.

But if they dump their Bitcoin reserves or ban it later, Bitcoin prices could crash hard. It’d depend on how fast and big they go. So, Bitcoin prices and reserves are tied tight!

Conclusion: When Will States Launch Bitcoin Reserves?

Countries are beginning to experiment with crypto in various ways, from holding BTC in reserves to considering staking and exploring CBDCs. As infrastructure and policy mature, we may see national treasuries evolve into active participants in the digital asset economy. When will the USA launch Bitcoin reserve? The decree is signed and now it’s to states to decide.

Platforms like Tonstakers offer a glimpse into how crypto reserves could generate value beyond holding, signaling a new era of strategic financial management driven by blockchain.

Read more:

The Bitcoin Reserve: How Will it Impact the Crypto Market?