The Czech central bank becomes the first central bank to purchase Bitcoin. The Czech National Bank (CNB) announced the creation of a digital asset trial portfolio worth $1 million, covering Bitcoin, USD stablecoins, and tokenized deposits. The total investment will not be actively increased. The project aims to test the central bank's processes for purchasing, holding, and managing blockchain assets over a period of 2 to 3 years. The central bank emphasized that there are currently no plans to include Bitcoin or other digital assets in its international reserves. CNB President Aleš Michl stated that this move aims to explore the potential role of Bitcoin in reserve diversification. The Czech central bank has also launched an innovation center project called "CNB Lab," aimed at overseeing tests of technologies and trends that may impact the future operation of financial markets and the implementation of monetary policy. In addition to testing digital assets and blockchain solutions, CNB Lab will also trial artificial intelligence tools to support innovations in the payment sector (including instant payments) and undertake other projects related to the digitalization of the financial industry.