Czech Central Bank Buys Bitcoin for the First Time: $1 Million "Digital Asset Investment Portfolio" Experiment

The Czech National Bank (CNB) has purchased Bitcoin and other digital assets for the first time, establishing a test investment portfolio of $1 million. The purpose of this move is not to incorporate Bitcoin into forex reserves, but rather to understand the operation, risks, and regulatory processes of blockchain assets through a small-scale experiment. The CNB stated that it will continue to publicly disclose test results in the coming years to prepare for the rapidly approaching digital finance era.

Not a national reserve: Czech Central Bank enters Bitcoin with 1 million USD

The Czech central bank announced that it has established a “digital asset test portfolio” with a scale of $1 million, which will be used not only to purchase Bitcoin and a type of dollar stablecoin but also to explore tools such as tokenized deposits. This is the first time that the central bank of the country has directly held digital assets.

CNB stated that this plan was approved by the central bank's board of directors on October 30, with the aim of allowing the central bank to accumulate practical operational experience; therefore, this purchase will not be included in the national reserves. The bank mainly wants to understand:

Storage, settlement, and accounting processes of digital assets

Key Management, Multi-signature and Crisis Response

Anti-Money Laundering ( AML ) and Regulatory Compliance

The difference between tokens and different blockchain assets

No impact on monetary policy: Czech koruna remains the main legal tender.

CNB President Aleš Michl pointed out that this trial is unrelated to monetary policy and forex operations: “The crown remains the legal tender of the country.”

Maintaining a low inflation and strong krona remains our top priority. However, new payment and investment methods will emerge rapidly in the coming years, and as a central bank, we hope to explore this path.

He stated: “There are already many theories, but only practical operation can reveal the true details and challenges.”

From Bitcoin reserve proposal to buying Coinbase stocks: The Czech National Bank establishes “CNB Lab”

Since the beginning of this year, CNB has already taken frequent actions, including the country's president indicating in February this year that he was considering allocating up to 5% of the national reserves to Bitcoin (, which was later shelved ). In July, CNB disclosed that it had purchased 18 million USD worth of Coinbase stock as part of a diversified exposure.

This move closely follows the launch of the Czech central bank's laboratory “CNB Lab,” which aims to test and enhance the country's professional capabilities in technologies such as AI, Blockchain, and payment innovations through this sandbox platform.

(Czech Republic Embraces Crypto Assets: Abolishing Long-Term Cryptocurrency Capital Gains Tax, Central Bank Considering Including Bitcoin Reserves)

The wave of European sovereign funds: Luxembourg, Norway, and Sweden are successively following suit.

The Czech Republic is not the only European country involved in crypto assets; others include:

Norwegian Sovereign Fund: As of the second quarter of August 2025, the indirect exposure to Bitcoin increased by 83% quarter-on-quarter, reaching 11,000 BTC.

Luxembourg Sovereign Fund: will invest 1% of the portfolio, approximately 9 million USD ( about 888 million euros ) in Bitcoin ETF products.

Swedish parliament member: Proposed to establish a “budget-neutral” Bitcoin reserve in April.

Currently, European countries are gradually transitioning from observation to experimentation, laying a strategic foundation for Bitcoin in the capital market. Deutsche Bank also pointed out in a report that as volatility decreases and liquidity increases, strategically allocating Bitcoin will make it a new cornerstone of financial security.

(Deutsche Bank predicts: Bitcoin will be included in the central bank reserves of various countries by 2030)

This article discusses the Czech central bank's first purchase of Bitcoin: a $1 million “digital asset investment portfolio” to test the waters, which first appeared in Blockchain News ABMedia.