Lawmakers Approve Bill to Lock Up Federal Bitcoin Holdings

A bill to freeze federal Bitcoin holdings for two decades has been passed by lawmakers in the House Financial Services Committee. The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, sponsored by Rep. Nicholas Begich of Alaska, aims to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and separate Digital Asset Stockpile within the Treasury Department.

The bill requires that all qualifying federal Bitcoin be held for at least 20 years from enactment, with annual independently audited reporting. This means that any Bitcoin acquired by the government must remain in the reserve or stockpile for two decades, regardless of how it was acquired.

Additionally, Treasury would submit a study within one year of enactment addressing possible conditions for early sales and legislative recommendations for exceptions to the holding requirement.