US lawmakers have taken a step toward formalizing President Donald Trump’s plan to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, introducing a bill that directs the Treasury Department to evaluate how such a reserve could be secured, managed, and reported on.
The appropriations bill, introduced Friday by Representative David P. Joyce, instructs the Treasury to deliver a comprehensive report within 90 days of enactment. The report must assess feasibility, custody arrangements, legal authority, and cybersecurity protocols for digital assets held by the federal government.
It also requires Treasury to detail how interagency transfers would work, how Bitcoin and other assets would be represented on the federal balance sheet, and whether third-party contractors would be needed for custody. In addition, the bill calls for an evaluation of potential hurdles to implementation and the impact on the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which currently manages proceeds from seized assets.
The legislation builds on Trump’s March executive order, which directed the government to establish both a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a broader digital asset stockpile, largely through the use of confiscated crypto. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has since emphasized that the administration is exploring “budget-neutral pathways” to expand the reserve, ensuring it does not add new costs to taxpayers.
Representative Joyce praised the Appropriations Committee for advancing the bill, saying it would “ensure the federal government is fiscally responsible, leverages new technology, and is focused on national security.” The bill now heads to the full House for consideration, with the Senate to follow if it passes.
Other countries are also moving toward similar strategies. On Monday, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed creating a state fund to accumulate digital assets as part of the country’s push into the “new digital financial system.” In August, the Philippines’ Congress debated establishing a 10,000-Bitcoin strategic reserve, which would make it the first nation in Southeast Asia to formally adopt Bitcoin as a state-level asset.
Globally, governments now hold more than 517,000 BTC in reserves, equal to roughly 2.46% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply, according to Bitbo data. If the US follows through, it would join a growing group of nations seeking to position Bitcoin as both a financial hedge and a tool of economic strategy.
