US Advances Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Legislation, With ARMA Bill Eyeing 1 Million BTC Over Five Years

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 6, 2025, directing the Treasury to establish a strategic reserve using bitcoin forfeited through criminal or civil proceedings. Any additional acquisitions must be made through budget-neutral means that do not increase the deficit. Because a future administration could revoke the order, congressional legislation is pivotal to making the reserve a lasting institution.

Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House President's Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, said on May 6, 2026, that the reserve framework would be announced within weeks. Representative Nick Begich introduced H.R. 8957, the ARMA Act, on May 21. The latest version removed the target of buying 1 million BTC over five years, replacing it with a study of budget-neutral acquisitions over a five-year period and requiring the Treasury to hold its BTC for at least 20 years.