Czech Nationwide Financial institution Governor Will Quickly Communicate On Why They’re Diversifying Their Reserves With Bitcoin

Ales Michl has been formally confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026the place he’ll ship a keynote titled “Diversifying Central Financial institution Reserves With Bitcoin” on April 28 at 10:20 AM PT on the Nakamoto Stage at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Michl serves as Governor of the Czech Nationwide Financial institution (CNB) — and his presence on the occasion marks a big second as he turns into the primary central financial institution governor to talk at The Bitcoin Convention.

In January 2025, Michl proposed allocating as much as 5% of the CNB’s €140 billion reserves into Bitcoin, citing its low correlation with conventional belongings like bonds as a key issue making it a horny diversification possibility. The proposal drew worldwide consideration and pushback. The proposal drew worldwide consideration that noticed pushback from central financial institution elites. Like from the European Central Financial institution’s President, Christine Lagarde, who publicly said she was assured Bitcoin wouldn’t ever enter the reserves of any EU central banks. Though the Czech Republic doesn’t use the euro, Michl has proven little signal of being moved by the criticism.

In November 2025, the CNB made its first-ever digital asset buy — a $1 million take a look at portfolio that included Bitcoin, a U.S. dollar-based stablecoin, and a tokenized deposit, constructed contained in the CNB Lab to check the operational realities of holding blockchain-based devices from the central financial institution’s perspective. Michl framed it as an train in preparedness somewhat than hypothesis. “The goal was to check decentralised bitcoin from the central financial institution’s perspective and to judge its potential function in diversifying our reserves,” he stated. “We’ll inform the general public about our expertise on an ongoing foundation and current an evaluation in two to 3 years.”

His Bitcoin 2026 keynote will provide a uncommon perspective from inside a sitting central financial institution — one which has moved from dialogue to precise Bitcoin buy, and is watching how the broader world financial system is starting to reply. Bitcoin 2026 takes place April 27–29 at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.