US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Bill Reintroduced In Congress As ARMA With 20-Year BTC Hold Requirement

• ARMA seeks to codify President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order on a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve into federal law.
• The bill would require federally held Bitcoin to remain locked for at least 20 years and authorize the Treasury to acquire up to one million BTC over five years.
• The proposal would apply to Bitcoin already held by the government from criminal forfeiture cases, including Silk Road and Bitfinex seizures.

Representative Nick Begich (R-AK) on Thursday introduced in Congress the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA), a revised version of the BITCOIN Act that would formally establish a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

The legislation was introduced with 16 original co-sponsors. It requires the federal government to hold its Bitcoin (BTC) reserves for at least 20 years and authorize the Treasury Department to acquire up to 200,000 BTC annually over five years, with the goal of building a reserve of one million Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s price slipped 0.6% over the last 24 hours, struggling to hold above the $77,000 level. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the apex cryptocurrency remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, while chatter stayed at ‘normal’ levels.

The ARMA bill’s introduction follows comments from Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, who said earlier this month that a “big announcement” tied to the administration’s Bitcoin reserve plans could arrive in the coming weeks.

ARMA Bill Builds On Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve Order

ARMA expands on the framework laid out in President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Unlike executive orders, federal statutes cannot be easily reversed by future administrations, giving the proposal a more permanent legal foundation.

The legislation would apply the 20-year holding requirement to all federally controlled Bitcoin, including assets seized in criminal investigations such as the Silk Road and Bitfinex cases. Estimates suggest the U.S. government currently controls between 198,000 and 328,000 BTC, worth roughly $25 billion at current prices.

The bill also proposes a separate digital asset stockpile for federally held cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin, which would sit alongside the reserve under the Treasury Department.

Begich told FOX Business that Bitcoin’s role within the crypto market resembles gold’s dominance in precious metals. “When you look at gold, it is the dominant precious metal reserve,” Begich said. “When you look at Bitcoin, it represents about 60% of all market cap for the entire crypto space.”

Crypto Policy Momentum Builds In Washington

The Bitcoin Policy Institute endorsed the ARMA proposal, calling it “a major step forward for sound Bitcoin policy in the U.S.” In a post on X, the group said the legislation would help professionalize federal custody practices surrounding Bitcoin holdings.

The bill also comes after the Senate Banking Committee last week passed the CLARITY Act with bipartisan support in a 15-9 vote to send the bill to the Senate floor. Retail traders are now watching to see when the full vote will be scheduled, with many hoping it will happen before the summer recess.

Read also: Bitcoin, Ethereum Slip After Nvidia Earnings While Oil Surge Spooks Markets

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