Czech National Bank tests digital assets with historic $1 million purchase

19.08.2025

The Czech National Bank (ČNB) has for the first time in its history purchased $1 million worth of digital assets, including bitcoin, US dollar-linked stablecoins and tokenized deposits. This purchase was made outside of the bank's existing international reserves and is solely for the purpose of testing and gaining hands-on experience in digital asset management. ([cnb.cz](https://www.cnb.cz/en/cnb-news/press-releases/The-CNB-creates-a-test-portfolio-of-digital-assets?utm_source=openai)) ČNB Governor Aleš Michl said that the idea for the test portfolio originated in January 2025 with the aim of assessing the potential of bitcoin in diversifying the bank's reserves. Discussions later expanded to include the future of payments and tokenization of assets, which led to the inclusion of stablecoins and tokenized deposits in the portfolio. ([cnb.cz](https://www.cnb.cz/en/about_cnb/cnblog/First-test-portfolio-of-digital-assets-at-the-CNB?utm_source=openai)) The aim of this project is to test the full cycle of digital asset management, including technical key administration, multi-level approval processes, security mechanisms, crisis scenarios and anti-money laundering compliance. The bank plans to evaluate the results of the project in two to three years and will inform the public about the experience gained on a regular basis. ([cnb.cz](https://www.cnb.cz/en/cnb-news/press-releases/The-CNB-creates-a-test-portfolio-of-digital-assets?utm_source=openai)) It is important to note that current digital assets are not part of the bank's official reserves, and the ČNB has no plans to include bitcoin or other digital assets in its international reserves in the near future. However, the move underscores the bank's commitment to be ready for future innovations in digital payments and investments. ([cnb.cz](https://www.cnb.cz/en/cnb-news/press-releases/The-CNB-creates-a-test-portfolio-of-digital-assets?utm_source=openai)) This experimental approach to digital assets by the ČNB reflects the growing interest of central banks in exploring the potential of blockchain technology and its possible impact on financial systems in the future.