#美国众院推动比特币储备立法 28:21 passes! The U.S. advances the strategic Bitcoin reserve bill, bringing a new variable to the global reserve system

On September 17, news that shook global financial circles broke: the U.S. House Financial Services Committee passed HR8957, the “American Reserve Modernization Act,” by 28 votes in favor and 21 against.
Led by Representative Nick Begich, the bill seeks for the first time to establish a “strategic Bitcoin reserve” system through statutory law, marking the formal entry of digital assets into discussions on the U.S. national reserve system.
Many people may wonder at first: Aren’t national reserves traditionally made up of assets such as gold and foreign exchange? Why would there be a Bitcoin reserve?
The bill’s underlying logic is not that the U.S. plans to purchase large amounts of Bitcoin. According to publicly available information, the Bitcoin currently held by U.S. federal agencies mostly comes from assets confiscated through judicial proceedings, totaling approximately 320k coins. The bill’s core objective is to consolidate the Bitcoin scattered across various federal departments under the custody of the U.S. Treasury and establish a dedicated strategic Bitcoin reserve. Once enacted, Bitcoin included in the reserve would be subject to a mandatory lock-up period of at least 20 years and could not be sold, exchanged, pledged, or auctioned during that period.
In addition, the bill would establish a separate digital asset stockpile to manage other types of digital assets. It also introduces clear auditing and disclosure mechanisms: the Treasury would be required to regularly publish reserve reports and undergo congressional and independent third-party audits to ensure transparent accounting of the assets. The bill further requires relevant departments to conduct research and assess viable ways to expand the reserve without increasing the fiscal deficit or burdening taxpayers.
But the key point is this: the bill does not authorize the government to purchase Bitcoin directly; it only establishes an institutional custody arrangement for existing confiscated assets.
This vote is merely the first hurdle in the bill’s legislative process. After passing the committee vote, the bill was sent to the full House and is awaiting a chamber-wide vote; no voting schedule has been set yet. Even if it passes the House, the bill must still be reviewed by the Senate and ultimately signed by the president before it can take effect. The 28:21 vote also reveals the deep divisions within the U.S. Congress.
Supporters believe unified custody can eliminate confusion in cross-departmental asset management and reduce cybersecurity risks;
Opponents worry that digital assets are highly volatile and that including them in national reserves could create unpredictable risks to public finances. The broader significance of this matter lies not in Bitcoin itself, but in the shift in how sovereign countries around the world view digital assets.
For a long time, most countries’ discussions on digital assets focused on trading risks, consumer protection, and anti-money-laundering regulation. This bill opens the door to discussion at the sovereign level about treating digital assets as an option for national reserve assets.
The global monetary system is undergoing a prolonged transformation, and the criteria for evaluating the reserve value of various assets are also continuing to evolve. But we must remain rational: the bill is only one step in the legislative process, and it still faces multiple hurdles before becoming law. Digital assets themselves involve multiple uncertainties related to technology, price, and law, while regulatory approaches vary greatly among countries. A unified model will not emerge quickly simply because of this U.S. bill.
For global market observers, what deserves continued attention is not short-term hype, but how countries balance room for innovation, financial stability, and the security of public assets.
The institutional contest brought about by new technology has only just begun.#Gate广场中秋团圆局 $BTC