US House Nears Vote on Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill

A bill aimed at establishing a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has cleared the House Financial Services Committee, moving one step closer to a full floor vote. The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA) would place the Treasury Department in charge of managing the federal government's Bitcoin holdings.

According to the legislation, which was introduced by Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) and co-led by Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), the Treasury would be required to hold onto the Bitcoin for a mandatory 20-year period with no sales allowed.

The reserve would primarily hold Bitcoin acquired through federal forfeitures. US agencies currently hold an estimated 328,372 BTC, valued somewhere between $25B and $30B. The bill explicitly protects privately held Bitcoin, stating that the government cannot seize it to stock its reserve.

One provision worth noting is the creation of a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for non-Bitcoin digital assets. ARMA also extends wash-sale rules to crypto, treating digital assets more like traditional securities for tax purposes.