A bipartisan group in the House just made the strongest legislative push yet to treat Bitcoin as a long-term national asset. Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, or ARMA, a bill that would create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve managed by the US Department of the Treasury.
The bill didn’t arrive quietly. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) signed on as co-lead sponsor, and 18 additional original co-sponsors joined them.
What the bill actually does
At its core, ARMA would consolidate the federal government’s existing Bitcoin holdings into a single, purpose-built reserve.
The most striking provision is a minimum 20-year holding period for any Bitcoin placed in the reserve.
And when the government can eventually sell? The proceeds are restricted to one use: reducing the national debt.
The legislation also establishes what it calls a Digital Asset Stockpile for tokens beyond Bitcoin. The bill draws a clear distinction between Bitcoin, which gets the reserve treatment, and other digital assets, which get a separate designation.
Transparency gets a dedicated framework too. ARMA mandates quarterly public Proof of Reserve reports, backed by independent third-party audits. Every three months, the Treasury would have to show its work, proving it actually holds the Bitcoin it claims to hold, with outside auditors verifying the numbers.
The bill includes explicit protections for individuals’ rights to own, transfer, and self-custody digital assets without government interference.
Why this matters beyond the Beltway
The US government already owns Bitcoin, accumulated through seizures related to criminal cases. These holdings have been scattered across agencies with no coherent management strategy, with some seized Bitcoin auctioned off and some sitting in wallets untouched for years. ARMA would change that by putting everything under one roof with clear rules.
The legislation also arrives in the context of President Trump’s March 2025 executive order that set in motion the establishment of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and an earlier 2025 BITCOIN Act introduced by Rep. Begich with the support of Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).
The bill specifies that establishing the reserve won’t require additional government spending. The reserve would be built from assets the government already holds, not from new purchases funded by appropriations.
What investors should watch
Legislation like ARMA needs committee markups, floor votes in both chambers, potential Senate companion bills, and a presidential signature. The 20 co-sponsors give it a stronger starting position than most crypto-related bills have enjoyed.
For institutional investors, the bill’s emphasis on transparency, particularly the quarterly Proof of Reserve audits, could set a precedent that extends beyond government holdings.
The restriction limiting sales to national debt reduction frames Bitcoin as a fiscal tool rather than a speculative position, and means the government has a direct financial incentive for Bitcoin to appreciate over the reserve’s minimum 20-year timeframe.
The self-custody protections embedded in the bill codify the right to hold and transfer digital assets without government interference, creating a statutory backstop against future attempts to restrict personal Bitcoin ownership.