Key facts
- About $100 million went to crypto-focused funds and about $90 million to digital assets and Bitcoin-related ETFs.
- The investments are part of a $700 million crypto National Strategic Reserve launched in December 2025.
- The reserve draws $350 million from central bank reserves and $350 million from the National Fund.
- Officials have not disclosed how much of the $90 million was invested in Bitcoin ETFs.
- Zhalenov said the government is preparing legal arrangements to transfer seized crypto and mining proceeds into the reserve.
Kazakhstan's central bank has committed approximately $190 million to cryptocurrency funds, digital assets and Bitcoin-linked exchange-traded funds, National Bank official Batur Vakhidov said at a financial conference in Almaty on November 5, 2026. About $100 million went to crypto-focused funds and about $90 million to digital assets and Bitcoin-related ETFs, according to the report.
The money is said to come from Ege DeFi, Brevan Howard Digital and PDO, which offer exposure to cryptocurrency markets. Officials have not revealed how much of the $90 million was invested in Bitcoin ETFs.
The investments are part of Kazakhstan's crypto National Strategic Reserve, totaling $700 million, which was launched in December 2025. By the end of October, some $190 million had been committed, Deputy Governor Binur Zhalenov said. The reserve receives $350 million from central bank reserves and another $350 million from the National Fund, with the National Investment Corporation handling the portfolio. Officials are still evaluating investment opportunities and risks.
The announcement follows Kazakhstan's earlier plans to invest reserve funds in cryptocurrency-related assets. In March, Central Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov unveiled a $350 million portfolio, part of gold and foreign exchange reserves. The bank then expanded its investment plans, taking in more funds from Kazakhstan's National Fund, while authorities said the approach would also feature financial instruments associated with cryptocurrencies rather than only buying tokens.
Kazakhstan has also outlined plans to expand the reserve using cryptocurrencies obtained through legal seizures and state-linked mining operations. Zhalenov said the government is preparing legal arrangements for transferring seized cryptocurrencies and mining proceeds into the reserve. The National Bank confirmed in September 2025 that the reserve would operate under its National Investment Corporation and clarified that the separate Alem Crypto Fund was not authorized to manage Kazakhstan's sovereign reserves.