El Salvador Doubles Down on Dips: $50M Gold Buy Boosts Reserves Alongside Bitcoin Stack

Announced on January 29, 2026, the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) of El Salvador declared its second gold buy since 1990, buying 9,298 troy ounces for roughly $50 million amidst US-Iran tensions and tariff-driven volatility at market dips of around $5,176–$5,377 per ounce. After a like $50 million purchase of 13,999 ounces in September 2025, this addition raises the nation's total gold reserves to 67,403 troy ounces, then valued at almost $360 million at present pricing. The BCR characterized gold as a "universally strategic reserve asset" that strengthens long-term financial stability, investor confidence, and resilience against world market shocks and structural changes.

As a defense against fiat currency risks, de-dollarization worries, and geopolitical uncertainties, central banks all around are raising gold holdings—such as Poland's large 2025 acquisitions—which fits with this trend. It matches El Salvador's revolutionary Bitcoin approach, whereby Bitcoin has been legal tender since 2021, and the government still conducts daily acquisitions, holding 7,547 BTC worth almost $620–$635 million (at around $84,000 per BTC). Highlighting the dual approach with a humorous X post: "We just bought the other dip," President Nayib Bukele alluded to opportunistic purchases in both classic gold and digital Bitcoin during pricing dips.

Mirroring corporate policies such as Metaplanet's Bitcoin treasury while adding traditional safe-haven assets, this balanced diversification boosts El Salvador's international reserves without altering its dual USD-Bitcoin currency framework. Amid persistent worldwide challenges, including Trump's tariffs and safe-haven demand, the purchases boost economic resilience, positioning the nation as a distinctive hybrid player in sovereign asset management—no particular future goals were defined, but the approach indicates continuous caution in reserve composition.