US House Committee Advances Permanent Bitcoin Reserve Legislation

A House committee has advanced legislation to make President Donald Trump's strategic Bitcoin reserve permanent. The bill, known as the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (H.R. 8957), would require a 20-year hold on federally seized BTC and quarterly proof-of-reserve audits.

The US House Committee on Financial Services voted 28-21 in favor of the bill, which aims to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile under the Department of the Treasury. These reserves would be funded by digital assets seized through civil and criminal forfeiture proceedings.

According to Arkham Intelligence estimates, the US government currently holds approximately 324,527 BTC, valued at around $24.7 billion. Representative Nicholas Begich introduced the bill, stating that the current approach to managing these holdings carries significant risks.

The bill would impose a mandatory 20-year holding period on any Bitcoin placed in the reserve and require federal agencies to submit full accounting of digital assets in their possession. It also mandates quarterly proof-of-reserve reports supported by third-party audits.