The United States plans to mandate a 20-year lock-up for "Strategic Bitcoin Reserves": BTC can strengthen America's financial leadership and consolidate dollar dominance

U.S. Congressional Documents Show that Representatives Nicholas J. Begich and others officially introduced the "2026 U.S. Reserve Modernization Act" (H.R. 8957) on May 21, 2026.
The bill proposes establishing a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve" and a "Digital Asset Stockpile" under the Department of the Treasury, and mandates that the government face a lock-up period of up to 20 years for seized Bitcoin.
This move aims to treat Bitcoin as a digital-era gold reserve, thereby strengthening America's financial resilience and the global leadership of the dollar.
(Background summary: Exclusive interview with Eric Trump: The U.S. must win in AI, energy, and Bitcoin, or Asia and the Middle East will take the lead)
(Additional background: Four-star U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander: Bitcoin is a "power projection" tool aligned with U.S. interests)

Table of Contents

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• Building a Dual-Track System: Strategic Bitcoin Reserves and Digital Asset Stockpiles
• Enforcing Diamond Hands: 20-Year Lock-up and Airdrop Fork Regulations
• Introducing "Reserve Proof" to Ensure Absolute Transparency

The global financial landscape is undergoing a digital transformation, and the U.S. Congress is beginning to recognize Bitcoin's strategic value in the overall economy.
According to the latest publicly available bill text from the 119th U.S. Congress (2025-2026), Representative Nicholas J. Begich (Republican), along with several bipartisan members, officially introduced the "American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026" (H.R. 8957) on May 21, 2026.

This bill, currently referred to the House Financial Services Committee for review, explicitly states in the "Findings" section that Bitcoin has demonstrated strong resilience and widespread adoption after over a decade of development.
Congress believes that Bitcoin's decentralization and limited scarcity resemble a modern form of gold reserves, and incorporating it into the national reserve system will help reinforce America's financial leadership in the 21st century and further solidify the dollar system.

Building a Dual-Track System: Strategic Bitcoin Reserves and Digital Asset Stockpiles

The most groundbreaking aspect of the bill is the requirement for the Secretary of the Treasury, within 180 days of the bill's enactment, to establish two separate asset custody structures.
First is the creation of a "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve," a highly secure storage facility dedicated to holding Bitcoin obtained through criminal, civil forfeiture, or fines (defined in the bill as Qualifying Bitcoin).

Second is the establishment of an independent "Digital Asset Stockpile" to manage other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin.
According to the bill, these non-Bitcoin digital assets can be sold or exchanged in the future, but the proceeds must be strictly earmarked for "increasing the Bitcoin strategic reserve" or "reducing U.S. national debt."
Additionally, the Treasury must work closely with the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to implement top-tier physical and cybersecurity protections.

Enforcing Diamond Hands: 20-Year Lock-up and Airdrop Fork Regulations

To ensure Bitcoin's status as a long-term strategic asset and prevent short-term government sell-offs from disrupting the market, the bill establishes strict holding periods.
All Bitcoin deposited into the strategic reserve must face a minimum holding period of "20 years" from the date of deposit.
During this period, the Treasury is strictly prohibited from selling, exchanging, pledging, or otherwise disposing of these Bitcoin.
Only after the 20-year period can the Secretary of the Treasury propose plans to Congress for gradual release, up to 10% every two years, with detailed assessments of impacts on federal deficits and capital markets.

Furthermore, in response to blockchain phenomena like "forks" and "airdrops," the bill also includes forward-looking regulations.
Any forked coins or airdropped tokens received by government-controlled addresses will face a "5-year lock-up period."
After five years, the government will evaluate these assets' market capitalization, retaining only the highest market cap projects, disposing of the rest, and remitting the proceeds to the Treasury; assets with unique utility may be exempted and recommended to Congress for retention.

Introducing "Reserve Proof" to Ensure Absolute Transparency

To address past issues of opacity in government handling of seized cryptocurrencies, H.R. 8957 specifically requires the creation of a publicly accessible cryptographic "Proof of Reserve" system.
This system will regularly and transparently disclose the actual holdings of the national reserve to the public, ensuring accountability in managing this substantial digital wealth.
When future disposals are made, the schedule and quantities must be publicly announced in advance to minimize market impact.

Although the bill is still in the "Introduced" early stage and has not yet undergone substantive review or voting, it marks an important milestone in U.S. legislative efforts to formally incorporate cryptocurrencies into national asset management.
If successfully advanced, it could fundamentally change how the U.S. government handles seized assets and potentially trigger a new geopolitical financial competition among sovereign nations over Bitcoin allocation.