# Argentina Central Bank gold derivative controversy

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/argentina-central-bank-gold-derivative-controversy
> Updated: 2026-10-19T04:50:00.000Z. Sources: 27. Developments: 3.

The Auditoría General de la Nación (AGN) reported that the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) incurred losses of approximately 1,023 million USD from gold-linked derivative operations. The audit specified that 960 million USD resulted from negative outcomes, while 62.8 million USD was attributed to option premiums. This finding triggered political and financial debate, with critics alleging speculative behavior and illegal malpractice, while supporters argued the operations were legitimate hedging strategies.

Following the audit, the BCRA and the national government characterized the AGN findings as having a “purely political” intent, asserting that the bank’s gold positions actually yielded a net gain of US$2.5 billion. However, the BCRA has refused to disclose the identities of specific counterparties or provide certain transaction contracts to the AGN.

Legal scrutiny has intensified as lawyer Gregorio Dalbón expanded a criminal complaint regarding the 2025 gold derivative operations. The filing requests the seizure or forensic copying of institutional servers and emails to investigate potential fraudulent administration, abuse of authority, and breach of official duties. The complaint targets Economy Minister Luis Caputo, BCRA President Santiago Bausili, and other high-ranking officials, including Juan Ernesto Curutchet and Nicolás Marcelo Ferro.

Deutsche Bank has been identified as a counterparty and intermediary in the transfer of Argentine gold reserves to the United Kingdom to facilitate repo operations. This has raised ethical concerns and legislative questions due to the previous high-level roles held by Caputo and Bausili at the German institution. The reported loss is attributed to the bank selling the right to purchase gold at prices near $3,000 per ounce, while market prices rose above $4,000.

## Claims

- Lawyer Gregorio Dalbón requested a raid on the Central Bank to investigate gold derivative operations. (corroborated by 9 sources)
- Deutsche Bank is alleged to have acted as a counterparty in the gold derivative contracts. (corroborated by 9 sources)
- The criminal complaint includes Economy Minister Luis Caputo, BCRA President Santiago Bausili, Juan Ernesto Curutchet, and Nicolás Marcelo Ferro. (corroborated by 8 sources)
- The legal request includes the seizure of Central Bank servers and institutional email accounts. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The operations allegedly involved selling rights to buy gold at approximately USD 3,000 per ounce while market prices exceeded USD 4,000. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The complaint cites potential crimes including fraudulent administration, abuse of authority, and criminal association. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- The AGN identified losses of USD 1,023 million from gold derivative operations during 2025. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Argentina Central Bank faces raid request over gold derivative losses

Lawyer Gregorio Dalbón has requested a raid on Argentina's Central Bank to investigate gold derivative operations that allegedly caused USD 1,023 million in losses and involved Deutsche Bank.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/argentina-central-bank-gold-operations-under-legal-scrutiny

### 2026-10-16: Argentina Central Bank faces scrutiny over $1 billion gold loss

Argentina's Central Bank is under scrutiny for a $1.023 billion loss in gold hedging operations, with allegations of secrecy regarding counterparties like Deutsche Bank.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/argentina-central-bank-refuses-to-disclose-gold-hedging-counterparties

### 2026-10-10: Central Bank of Argentina gold derivative losses spark controversy

Argentina's AGN audit reveals the Central Bank lost approximately 1,023 million USD in gold-linked derivative operations, sparking intense debate over whether the moves were prudent hedging or illegal practice.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/central-bank-of-argentina-gold-derivative-losses-spark-controversy

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Cite as: Argentina Central Bank gold derivative controversy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/argentina-central-bank-gold-derivative-controversy