El Salvador Just Surpassed North Korea in Bitcoin Holdings

— After to Lazarus Group’s $212M BTC Dump

Just two weeks ago, North Korea’s infamous hacker collective Lazarus Group held a whopping 7,813 BTC (worth $856M).

Now? That number has dropped to 5,875 BTC, following the liquidation of 1,938 BTC—valued at over $212 million.

That single move pushed El Salvador up the global Bitcoin rankings.

Here’s the Current Nation-State BTC Leaderboard:

1. United States – 198,012 BTC (~$21.7B)

2. United Kingdom – 61,245 BTC (~$6.7B)

3. Bhutan – 11,879 BTC (~$1.3B)

4. El Salvador – 6,188 BTC (~$678.5M)

5. North Korea (Lazarus Group) – 5,875 BTC (~$645M)

Why It Matters:

El Salvador’s rise in the ranks isn’t just symbolic. It solidifies the country’s position as a serious long-term BTC holder — and shows that nation-state crypto strategies are evolving fast.

Meanwhile, Lazarus Group’s remaining stash isn’t just in BTC. They’re also holding:

• $7.84M in USDT

• 2,972 ETH (~$7.61M)

But the BTC they dumped? It’s been scattered across thousands of new wallets—a typical move for hiding and later laundering funds. Analysts say it may remain dormant for months before reactivation.

Bottom Line:

El Salvador just claimed the #4 spot in sovereign Bitcoin holdings — not by buying, but because North Korea cashed out.

A reshuffling at the top is happening quietly. But don’t be surprised when this power shift makes bigger waves later this cycle.

#Bitcoin #ElSalvador #LazarusGroup #CryptoNews #SovereignBTC