--- title: "Will the US establish a strategic BTC reserve, locking up 320,000 BTC?" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/287312651.md" description: "The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA) aims to establish a permanent U.S. Bitcoin reserve law, requiring a 20-year lock-up for approximately 328,000 Bitcoins currently held by the government. The bill allows the Treasury to purchase up to 200,000 additional Bitcoins annually, targeting a reserve of 1 million Bitcoins. It emphasizes budget neutrality and introduces oversight mechanisms for transparency. This legislative move reflects a significant shift in the U.S. cryptocurrency regulatory landscape, potentially impacting global Bitcoin supply and demand." datetime: "2026-05-22T05:42:22.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/287312651.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287312651.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/287312651.md) --- # Will the US establish a strategic BTC reserve, locking up 320,000 BTC? Author: Blockchain Knight; Source: X,@Knight\_in\_Block The US Bitcoin reserve policy is undergoing a landmark legislative upgrade. On May 21, 2026, Republican Representative Nick Begich from Alaska, along with 17 other bipartisan members, formally introduced the "American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026" (ARMA). **This bill aims to transform the US strategic Bitcoin reserve system from a previous executive order into a permanently binding federal law, thereby eliminating the vulnerability of executive orders that could be easily overturned due to changes in government.** **This bill aims to transform the US strategic Bitcoin reserve system from an executive order into a permanently binding federal law, thus eliminating the vulnerability of executive orders that could be easily overturned due to changes in government.** **The core provisions of the ARMA (Arbitration for Bitcoin) Act are clear and explicit. First, the Act requires the U.S. Treasury Department to implement a long-term lock-up policy of at least 20 years for all Bitcoin currently and in the future held by the federal government. This massive holding is not just theoretical; the U.S. government currently effectively controls approximately 328,000 Bitcoins through criminal and civil seizures. Based on current market prices, its total value exceeds $25 billion, representing about 1.6% of the total global Bitcoin circulation, making the U.S. the world's largest sovereign Bitcoin holder. Prior to this, the federal government lacked a unified and coherent management strategy; the ARMA Act was enacted precisely to address this long-standing management gap. Secondly, in addition to incorporating existing assets into the strategic reserve, the bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury to purchase up to 200,000 additional Bitcoins annually over the next five years, aiming to establish a national strategic reserve of up to 1 million Bitcoins, representing approximately 5% of the global Bitcoin supply. It is noteworthy that this massive accretion plan strictly adheres to the principle of budgetary neutrality, stipulating that no additional taxpayer funds may be used. Its funding will primarily come from adjusting the Federal Reserve's surplus payments and the revaluation gains on gold certificates, addressing concerns about fiscal discipline while paving the way for the accretion plan's funding. Furthermore, in response to public demands for transparency, the ARMA bill introduces a stringent oversight mechanism, requiring the Treasury to regularly publish quarterly reserve verification reports and accept independent third-party audits. The ARMA Act builds upon the executive order signed by Trump in March 2025, which for the first time centralized government-seized Bitcoin into strategic reserves. The ARMA Act comes at a crucial time for a systemic reshaping of the US cryptocurrency regulatory environment. Previously, the SEC and CFTC jointly classified Bitcoin and Ethereum as digital goods. Simultaneously, the Senate Banking Committee passed a clear bill aimed at clarifying jurisdiction and regulatory rules for the digital asset market by a bipartisan vote of 15-9. This series of concentrated policy signals, coupled with the fiscal pressure from the US federal debt exceeding $39 trillion in 2026, constitutes a significant backdrop for pushing Bitcoin into the national strategic hedging asset category. From a market perspective, if the ARMA Act is passed, it will undoubtedly profoundly change the global supply and demand landscape for Bitcoin. Of course, this bill is currently still a legislative proposal and will need to undergo committee review, full house debate, and bicameral coordination before it is finally implemented. However, the very proposal of ARMA clearly demonstrates that the United States is systematically incorporating Bitcoin into its long-term strategic asset portfolio.** ### Related Stocks - [BITS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BITS.US.md) - [RIOT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/RIOT.US.md) - [ABTC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/ABTC.US.md) - [COIN.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/COIN.US.md) - [HUT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HUT.US.md) - [COIW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/COIW.US.md) - [LMBO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LMBO.US.md) - [WGMI.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/WGMI.US.md) - [BITB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BITB.US.md) - [BLOK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BLOK.US.md) - [MSTW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MSTW.US.md) - [HODL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HODL.US.md) - [BTCW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BTCW.US.md) - [BKCH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BKCH.US.md) - [BITO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BITO.US.md) - [BRRR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BRRR.US.md) - [BTCHKD.VAHK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BTCHKD.VAHK.md) - [BTCUSD.VAHK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BTCUSD.VAHK.md) ## Related News & Research - [Trump to host crypto executives as SEC weighs regulations](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296358805.md) - [Crypto, AI, and online betting firms are driving a record $517 million in corporate election spending](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296540874.md) - [Metaplanet Bets 2,100 Bitcoin on US Expansion, Takes 95.7% Stake in Gaming Media Company](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296256967.md) - [FDA grants fast track status to Phanes’ spevatamig for advanced BTC](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296088441.md) - [Fundstrat Sees 30% Swing In Bitcoin’s Price](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296239209.md)