Kazakhstan central bank eyes spring start for $350M crypto-linked portfolio

Officials said the bank may start allocating funds to crypto-related equities and ETFs as early as April.

Kazakhstan’s central bank plans to begin investing as much as $350 million from its gold and foreign exchange reserves into a crypto-linked portfolio, with the first purchases expected in April or May, senior officials reportedly said during a Friday news briefing.

According to Reuters, National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said the bank is compiling a list of instruments for the portfolio. He said the basket would include crypto-linked assets and did not rule out direct cryptocurrency exposure, though officials indicated the initial emphasis would be on listed instruments tied to the sector.

Deputy Governor Aliya Moldabekova reportedly said the bank expects the first investments to begin in April or May. Until then, funds allocated for the initiative are being held in money market instruments. She said the investments may also include shares in companies tied to digital asset infrastructure and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking them.

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