US Lawmakers Advance Bill to Formalize Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

US lawmakers have taken a significant step towards making Bitcoin a lasting part of the federal government's reserves. The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (H.R. 8957) passed the US House Committee on Financial Services in a 28-21 vote, bringing Washington closer to formalizing a strategic Bitcoin reserve.

According to Arkham Intelligence, the US government is estimated to hold 324,527 Bitcoin, worth $24.7 billion at the time of writing. The bill would establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile within the Department of the Treasury for federally held Bitcoin and other digital assets acquired through criminal or civil forfeiture.

The legislation requires all federal agencies to provide a full accounting of digital assets currently held or controlled by the federal government, establishing transparency measures such as quarterly 'proof of reserve' reports and third-party audits. It would also direct a study of budget-neutral acquisition strategies for expanding the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and allow states to store their Bitcoin in the Federal Reserve.

Representative Nicholas Begich introduced the bill on May 21, stating that holding federal government Bitcoin posed unacceptable cybersecurity risks and failed to give an adequate accounting of what was owned. The move is seen as a 'genuinely historic step for Bitcoin policy' by Bitcoin Policy Institute executive director Connor Brown.