US Congress Locks Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Into Federal Law With New Bill

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• ** Congressman Nick Begich has introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA) to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve.**

• Begich says the US can fund the reserve without the taxpayers’ funds by seizing all of Iran’s Bitcoin.

Donald Trump rose to the presidency for his second term on the promise of establishing a Bitcoin reserve, and he may finally deliver this pledge to Americans. A new bill in Congress is seeking to establish the reserve, and it might not even need funding from the federal government.

Known as the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), it was introduced to the House by Congressman Nick Begich, the Republican representative for Alaska.

America’s reserves balance sheet is a critical component of our nation’s insurance policy, bolstering our currency and providing assurance during times of uncertainty. Over time, the prevailing sentiment as to what constitutes a durable store of value can shift, and as such it is… pic.twitter.com/7XfBwAWFGi

— Congressman Nick Begich (@RepNickBegich) May 21, 2026

The bill proposes a BTC reserve within the US Treasury, alongside another reserve for non-Bitcoin crypto assets. The government must hold all its BTC for a minimum of 20 years to avoid dumping on the market like some countries have done, such as Germany. However, as revealed by Congressman Matt Van Epps, one of the sponsors of the bill, the government can sell it before the 20 years elapse to reduce national debt. Currently, the US owes over $39 trillion in debt, the most of any country.

Congressman Jared Golden, another sponsor of ARMA, commented:

“Administrations have auctioned it off or held it in reserve, according to the whims of the executive branch. By creating a strategic reserve with the weight of law, the _ARMA _reinforces stability and gives Congress more time to establish long-term policy for how the federal government approaches cryptocurrency.”

Trump to Get His Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

ARMA is the second bill targeting a strategic bitcoin reserve in the US. The first was the Bitcoin Act, which was sponsored by Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis. It’s still on the floor of the house but has since lost momentum.

Both bills seek to bring Trump’s pledge to reality. However, this time, unlike with the Lummis bill, the White House is now throwing its weight behind ARMA. Speaking recently, Patrick Witt, who heads the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, described ARMA as “the second version of the Bitcoin Act.” He added that the White House has invested heavily in pushing it and weighing its implications.

He added:

“It’s a breakthrough as far as getting everything in place, legally sound, properly safeguarding the assets.”

Speaking to FOX Business, Begich said that the US must move from gold to Bitcoin, describing the proposed reserve as ‘the new Fort Knox,’ stating:

“In order to maintain the sovereignty and strength of the US dollar, you’ve got to have a strong reserve policy…We need to recognize that digital assets are the 21st-century equivalent of those historical gold reserves.”

Begich says that the US taxpayer will not even be burdened by the reserve, proposing that it gets funded by BTC seized from Iran via the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.