House bill seeks Treasury Bitcoin reserve for $25B holdings

Representative Nick Begich introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 to establish a Treasury-run strategic Bitcoin reserve and to consolidate the federal government’s cryptocurrency holdings. Federal holdings currently total 328,372 Bitcoin, valued at more than $25 billion.

The bill would place custody and oversight of seized and federally held crypto under a single Treasury-managed framework. It directs the Treasury to create a secure Bitcoin reserve and a separate “Digital Asset Stockpile” for non-Bitcoin tokens accumulated by federal agencies.

ARMA would stop routine auctions of seized crypto and require any Bitcoin placed in the reserve to be held for at least 20 years. The legislation also mandates quarterly public “Proof of Reserve” reports, independent third-party audits and expanded congressional oversight to provide regular public accounting of the holdings.

The bill orders a study into budget-neutral acquisition strategies to evaluate lawful methods for the government to add to its digital reserves without raising taxes, increasing deficits or adding to the national debt.

ARMA includes language affirming Americans’ rights to self-custody, stating the federal government may not impair lawful ownership, transfer or independent security of private digital assets.

The legislation lists 17 original House co-sponsors, among them Buddy Carter, Ben Cline, Barry Moore, Burgess Owens, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Mike Carey, Michael Rulli, Mike Collins, Mike Lawler, Riley Moore and Tim Moore.

Begich described the act as “positioning the United States to lead confidently in the digital age while protecting taxpayer interests, strengthening financial sovereignty, and reinforcing the principles of transparency and sound stewardship.”

Industry response included support from some crypto firms. Matt Cole, chief executive of Bitcoin treasury firm Strive, called the proposal “the single most important crypto legislation that can come out of D.C. for the long-term health and security of the United States.”

ARMA follows other federal initiatives on digital assets. Last year, Senator Cynthia Lummis proposed legislation to require the U.S. to acquire 1 million Bitcoin over five years and hold them for at least 20 years. An executive order requested a federal study of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, and the Senate Banking Committee advanced separate legislation to clarify regulatory rules for the crypto industry.

If enacted, ARMA would centralize custody across federal agencies and establish reporting and audit requirements for federally held crypto. Critics and fiscal analysts have requested additional detail on implementation, security and the budget-neutral acquisition proposals.