Lawmakers pass bill to freeze federal Bitcoin holdings for two decades

The House Financial Services Committee superior laws to put a federal Bitcoin reserve into statute on Sept. 16, approving a framework that will require a 20-year holding interval and annual independently audited reporting.

The panel voted 28–21 to report H.R. 8957 favorably, shifting the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 past its introduction stage. The measure nonetheless requires additional legislative motion earlier than its proposed custody and holding guidelines can develop into legislation.

The legislative effort builds on an present executive-policy framework. President Donald Trump’s March 6, 2025 order directed the institution of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and separate digital asset stockpile, restricted disposal topic to authorized exceptions, and instructed Treasury and Commerce to develop budget-neutral acquisition methods.

Sponsored by Rep. Nicholas Begich of Alaska, ARMA would set up a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile throughout the Treasury Department. Its quick focus is how Washington holds and accounts for property it owns. Additional Bitcoin acquisition is addressed by means of a examine.

The committee adopted Rep. Bryan Steil’s substitute by voice vote and rejected an modification from Rep. Maxine Waters, 21–28, in accordance to the markup record. The determination follows the vote CryptoSlate previewed on Sept. 15.

A 20-year maintain and audited Treasury custody

The adopted substitute would convey qualifying federal Bitcoin into the reserve and place different qualifying digital property within the separate stockpile. Assets legally required for different functions are excluded, so the proposal doesn’t deal with each asset held or seized by an company as accessible reserve property.

That distinction issues to the size of the coverage. Custody of a digital asset and eligibility to retain it within the reserve are completely different questions. The bill’s framework applies to qualifying government-owned holdings quite than establishing a reserve stability from every thing an company controls.

Section 5 would require Bitcoin deposited within the reserve to stay there for no less than 20 years from enactment, no matter the way it was acquired. During that minimal interval, the textual content prohibits promoting, swapping, auctioning, encumbering or in any other case disposing of the Bitcoin.

The clock is tied to enactment, quite than the date of every deposit. The committee vote subsequently doesn’t begin the holding interval.

The substitute additionally calls for Treasury to submit a examine inside one yr of enactment addressing potential circumstances for early gross sales and legislative suggestions for exceptions. That provision asks for suggestions; it doesn’t itself grant permission to ignore the holding requirement.

Together, these provisions would make retention an outlined obligation whereas leaving any proposed early-sale exceptions for a separate legislative determination.

In prepared remarks for the markup, committee Chairman French Hill described the bill as bringing digital property held throughout federal companies underneath Treasury custody and constant oversight.

The proposed reporting system would make that custody topic to recurring checks. Section 6 would require public cryptographic proof of reserves, an annual report masking holdings, transactions and management of personal keys, and verification by an unbiased third-party auditor. The Comptroller General would frequently oversee the reserve, studies and audits.

The operational deadlines use separate triggers. Agencies would supply Treasury with a whole accounting of their Bitcoin and different digital property inside 60 days of enactment, then yearly. Qualifying holdings would switch into the reserve or stockpile inside 30 days after these constructions are established.

These necessities tackle each the stock and its administration: figuring out what companies management, figuring out what qualifies, consolidating custody and checking the ensuing studies.

Buying extra Bitcoin stays a examine

Section 9 would give Treasury and Commerce 180 days from enactment to examine the dangers, prices and potential advantages of buying further Bitcoin, together with whether or not acquisitions might be funds impartial. That is a examine requirement, not a longtime buy program.

ARMA would give the reserve a statutory framework, with specified holding and oversight obligations. Its subsequent legislative check is whether or not Congress will enact these obligations, whereas the acquisition examine would go away the associated fee and feasibility of increasing the holdings to additional examination.

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