Representative Nick Begich on Thursday introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act, a bill that would formalize a U.S. strategy for holding crypto on the federal balance sheet — starting with Bitcoin.
What the bill would do
- Create a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” housed at the Department of the Treasury, designed to securely store BTC acquired by the government.
- Establish a separate “Digital Asset Stockpile” for federally managed non-Bitcoin digital assets.
- Move custody and management of digital assets held across federal agencies under Treasury oversight to improve stewardship, transparency and consistent supervision of taxpayer-owned assets obtained through forfeitures, penalties and other lawful proceedings.
- Require Bitcoin in the Strategic Reserve to be held for at least 20 years.
- Include explicit protections for digital property rights.
- Commission a study to identify budget-neutral acquisition methods — ways to expand reserves without raising taxes, increasing deficit spending or adding to the national debt.
Policy context and lawmakers’ views
Begich framed the bill as both a modernization of federal asset management and a safeguard for public interests, saying it would let the United States lead in the emerging digital economy while protecting taxpayers. Republican Rep. Burgess Owens urged urgency, arguing that dismissing Bitcoin as temporary ignores how Americans, global markets and strategic competitors are already moving.
Where this fits with other moves
The bill follows a related executive action: in March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an order aimed at establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve, though that effort is not yet fully operational. Legislatively, the American Reserve Modernization Act arrives amid broader U.S. crypto policy activity — the Senate Banking Committee has already passed the bipartisan CLARITY Act and advanced it to the Senate floor.
Market backdrop
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin traded around $77,738, down about 5% over the past week and roughly 38% below last year’s all-time high of $126,000.
Why it matters
If enacted, the act would represent a major shift in how the federal government treats digital assets — recognizing crypto as strategic government property to be carefully managed and potentially signaling a long-term U.S. posture toward on-chain assets rather than ad hoc handling through individual agencies or enforcement actions.
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