Czech National Bank Creates $1 Million Test Portfolio to Study Blockchain Assets

The Czech National Bank (CNB) announced its first purchase of digital assets, including Bitcoin, as part of a $1 million test portfolio. Approved on October 30, 2025, the initiative was established outside the central bank’s international reserves to gain hands-on experience with blockchain-based assets.

According to the official press release, Czech’s crypto portfolio will include Bitcoin, a U.S. dollar–denominated , and a tokenised deposit. CNB Governor Aleš Michl said the goal was to test Bitcoin from a central bank’s perspective and assess its potential role in reserve diversification.

“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.

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The bank said it will not actively expand the portfolio, and any valuation changes will be market-driven. Governor Michl cautioned that can fluctuate substantially, urging investors to be mindful of inherent risks.

The test portfolio allows the CNB to explore blockchain’s operational complexities — from key custody and multi-level approval processes to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and security mechanisms. The institution plans to test trade settlement, auditing, and accounting for digital assets under real market conditions.

Officials said maintaining in-house expertise is central to the experiment. By managing a live portfolio, CNB staff can gain experience and share knowledge across departments. “Although much is known in theory, only practice will reveal the details and difficulties of day-to-day operation,” the CNB noted.

The digital assets were acquired through a standard market operation, in line with Articles 32, 40, and 47a of the Act on the CNB, which authorises trading in investment instruments and other assets for operational purposes. The bank clarified that Bitcoin qualifies as a financial market asset under these provisions.