US Lawmakers Move to Lock Trump-Ordered Bitcoin Reserve into Law
US lawmakers have taken a significant step towards making Bitcoin a permanent 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 incorporating Bitcoin into its official reserves.
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. US Representative Nicholas Begich, who introduced the bill on May 21, argued that the current system poses unacceptable cybersecurity risks and fails to provide adequate accounting.
The estimated $24.7 billion in federal-held Bitcoin, worth approximately 324,527 units at the time of writing, would be required to be held for a minimum of 20 years under ARMA. The legislation also requires all federal agencies to provide a full accounting of digital assets and establishes transparency measures, including quarterly 'proof of reserve' reports and third-party audits.