Under the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, Bitcoin must be held for a minimum of 20 years unless used to slash national debt.
US lawmakers have renewed efforts to codify a US strategic Bitcoin reserve with a new bipartisan bill on Thursday that seeks to acquire around 1 million Bitcoin over five years.
The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 would establish a Strategic Bitcoin (BTC) Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile for other federally held cryptocurrencies, which would be held by the US Treasury Department, said the bill’s sponsor, Representative Nick Begich.
ARMA, sponsored by 16 members of Congress, builds on the BITCOIN Act, which was introduced in July 2024 and updated in March 2025.
In an interview on Sunday, Patrick Witt, of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, referred to ARMA as “Version 2” of the BITCOIN Act and said the White House has spent considerable time examining the legal implications of a Bitcoin reserve.
“It’s a breakthrough as far as getting everything in place, legally sound, properly safeguarding the assets.”
The push for a federal policy comes as the US currently holds 328,372 Bitcoin worth more than $25.5 billion — the most of any nation-state — but has sold portions of those holdings through court-ordered actions over the years.
“The US is already one of the largest holders of Bitcoin in the world. But Congress has never set a federal policy on what to do with that asset,” said US Representative Jared Golden, one of the 16 co-sponsors of the bill.
Under ARMA, Bitcoin must be held for a minimum of 20 years unless it is sold to reduce America’s national debt, which topped $39 trillion on Wednesday.
Like the BITCOIN Act, ARMA also seeks to acquire up to 1 million Bitcoin over five years through budget-neutral strategies, meaning it would avoid using taxpayer money.
US Representative Mike Carey argued that as digital assets continue to grow in importance, the bill could strengthen America’s long-term economic position and help keep it “competitive on the world stage.”
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Strive CEO and chairman Matt Cole said ARMA is the “single most important crypto legislation” that could come out of Washington DC.
ARMA could strengthen transparency measures, property rights
Quarterly proof of reserve reports and independent third-party audits of the Bitcoin reserve would be published under ARMA, Begich noted.
The bill also seeks to protect digital property rights by affirming that the federal government may not impair the right of individuals to own or self-custody digital assets.
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