US President Donald Trump hosted El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele in the White House on April 14, with conversations centered on trade and immigration, excluding Bitcoin from the public agenda.
By pressing questions about migration and bilateral security collaboration, the tone set in Bukele’s first official meeting at the White House in Trump’s second period.
According to a livestream shared by Bukele’s office at X, Trump raised the opportunity to transfer US citizens convicted of crimes to prisons in El Salvador, and urged Bukele to expand the country’s prison system to house more prisoners. “I said that homework is next, the homework. You have to build about five places more.”
Source: Nayib Bukele
Since the accession of Trump, the Trump administration has deported hundreds of alleged foreign criminals to El Salvador under a $ 6 million agreement between the countries.
Trump also approached the ongoing trade war that was detached by his administration on April 2, suggesting a potential temporary exemption from car manufacturers aimed at facilitating the transition to their supply chains.
“I look at something to help some of the car companies with it,” Trump told journalists present at the meeting and added that the US car industry “needs[s] Some time ”to move production to the country.
The meeting did not affect digital assets and Bitcoin (BTC) policy – a flagship initiative from the administrations of both presidents.
El Salvador adopted Bitcoin as a legal bid in 2021, where he groundbreaking Bitcoin Strategic Reserve approach later followed by Trump.
The US president positioned himself as a pro-crrypto candidate during the 2024 election. On March 6, Trump signed a executive order to set up a Bitcoin strategic reserve and digital asset warehouse in the United States.
The United States has almost 198,000 BTC, appreciated for over $ 17 billion from March. The reserve is primarily formed by Bitcoin seized in criminals and civil cases, including significant amounts from Silk Road and BitFinex Hack cases.
Related: How much Bitcoin holds the United States and where did it come from?
El Salvadors BTC plans face the IMF opposition
In December, El Salvador signed a $ 1.4 billion loan agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF), which included obligations to relax Bitcoin-related initiatives and reduce public sector involvement with digital assets.
While Salvadoran Congress changed its Bitcoin laws in January to comply with the agreement, the government has continued its daily purchases of BTC. The country’s National Bitcoin Office’s tracker shows that it currently has 6,147.18 BTC worth about $ 520.7 million on this writing.
Related: Tether will move HQ to El Salvador after securing a license