Congress is also working on legislation to give the reserve a stronger legal base. Senator Cynthia Lummis and Representative Nick Begich introduced the BITCOIN Act in March 2025. The bill proposed buying up to 1 million Bitcoin over five years through budget-neutral methods.
That bill has not moved quickly. It became linked to wider market structure legislation known as the . Lawmakers have faced delays over stablecoin interest rules and decentralized finance regulation, slowing the broader process.
A second bill, the American Reserve Modernization Act, was introduced in May 2026 by Begich and Representative Jared Golden. This bill would place the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve directly inside the Treasury Department. It would also create a separate stockpile for other digital assets.
For now, the federal government still holds more than $20 billion in Bitcoin, according to Arkham Intelligence estimates cited in reports. That makes the United States one of the largest known sovereign Bitcoin holders. However, the reserve still lacks a final legal framework, a named lead agency and a clear plan for long-term management.
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