ARMA proposes 20-year Bitcoin reserve

Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska and Rep. Jared Golden of Maine introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act on May 21, a bill that would write a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve into federal law. The proposal would require the Treasury Department to create and maintain a Bitcoin reserve for at least 20 years, according to Decrypt and Begich’s office. It would also create a separate stockpile for other digital assets held by the government. The measure arrives as the Trump administration’s Bitcoin reserve, created by executive order in March 2025, is still being implemented. ### What would ARMA actually require the Treasury to do? The bill would direct the Treasury to hold Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset for a minimum of 20 years. Decrypt reported that the legislation also requires the consolidation of digital assets held across federal agencies, including assets obtained through forfeitures and penalties, and calls for a proof-of-reserve report. (decrypt.co) Begich’s office said the bill would “establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and modernize how the United States manages digital reserve assets.” Golden said Congress had never set a federal policy for handling Bitcoin already held by the government and that administrations had “auctioned it off or held it in reserve” depending on executive preferences. (decrypt.co) ### Who is behind the bill, and how much support does it have? Begich introduced the bill as the lead Republican sponsor, and Golden joined as the Democratic co-lead. Begich’s office listed 17 original co-sponsors, all Republicans, including Reps. Buddy Carter, Ben Cline, Mike Lawler and Pat Harrigan. Decrypt described the measure as an effort to cement one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to digital-asset supporters. (begich.house.gov) Bitcoin Magazine, citing the bill text and sponsor comments, said the measure had bipartisan support and more than a dozen co-sponsors. ### How does this differ from the reserve Trump already created? President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14233 on March 6, 2025, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate United States Digital Asset Stockpile. (begich.house.gov) The White House said at the time that agencies were to review their authority to transfer government-held Bitcoin into the reserve within 30 days. (decrypt.co) The difference is legal durability. Golden said ARMA would give the reserve “the weight of law,” while Decrypt reported that the administration was still working through legal interpretations tied to the executive-order reserve. At a Las Vegas conference last month, Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said the administration had spent months “figuring out” those issues. (whitehouse.gov) ### Does the bill only cover Bitcoin? ARMA separates Bitcoin from other federally held digital assets. Decrypt reported that the bill would create a Bitcoin reserve and a separate stockpile for other cryptocurrencies held by the government. Begich’s office used similar language, describing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve alongside broader digital reserve-asset management. (begich.house.gov) Bitcoin Magazine reported that the updated legislation would authorize Treasury to acquire as much as 200,000 BTC per year for five years, for a total target of 1 million Bitcoin, with all holdings locked for at least 20 years. That detail was not visible in the Decrypt summary or Begich press release, so it remains based on secondary reporting. ### Is this the same fight as the Senate stablecoin bill? (decrypt.co) The Senate’s current crypto debate is separate. Decrypt said ARMA is distinct from the stablecoin legislation moving through Congress, even though both sit inside a broader push for digital-asset rules in Washington. On May 13, the Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in a 15-9 vote, according to Bitcoin Magazine. (bitcoinmagazine.com) That measure addresses market structure, not a Treasury Bitcoin reserve. The White House reserve established on March 6, 2025 remains in place by executive order, and ARMA now heads into the House legislative process with Begich and Golden as lead sponsors. (decrypt.co) Any statutory reserve would require congressional passage and presidential approval before it could replace the current executive-order framework. (whitehouse.gov) (bitcoinmagazine.com)