Central bank gold demand last year fell short of the exceptional levels seen in the previous three years, but purchases were historically strong and concentrated among emerging market institutions. El Salvador’s Central Reserve Bank (BCR) said Thursday it bought 9,298 troy ounces of gold worth $50 million, its second gold purchase since 1990 and the first this year. Alongside gold, El Salvador continues its daily Bitcoin accumulation. El Salvador’s acquisitions come as central banks around the world are rapidly stockpiling and repatriating gold amid rising geopolitical tensions and dollar jitters, pushing gold prices to record highs. Gold and Bitcoin both came under heavy selling pressure on the day, with gold retreating from above $5,500 to $5,100 and Bitcoin falling from $88,000 to about $82,000.