CryptoSlate
The House Financial Services Committee voted 28–21 on Sept. 16 to advance H.R. 8957, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026. The bill would establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile within the Treasury Department, with a minimum 20-year holding period for qualifying federal Bitcoin.
Why it matters
ARMA would move the federal Bitcoin reserve from executive policy toward a statutory framework. President Donald Trump’s March 6, 2025 order directed the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate digital asset stockpile, restricted disposal subject to legal exceptions and instructed Treasury and Commerce to develop budget-neutral acquisition strategies.
The bill focuses first on custody and accounting, not immediate purchases. Qualifying Bitcoin held by federal agencies would move into the reserve, while other qualifying digital assets would enter the separate stockpile. Assets legally required for other purposes would remain excluded, meaning the reserve would not automatically include every asset controlled or seized by the government.
Section 5 would prohibit selling, swapping, auctioning, encumbering or otherwise disposing of reserve Bitcoin for at least 20 years from enactment. The committee vote does not start that clock. A Treasury study due within one year would examine possible early-sale conditions, but it would not itself create an exemption.
Market impact
The operational provisions would give federal Bitcoin custody a more formal and transparent structure. Agencies would have 60 days after enactment to provide Treasury with a complete accounting of their Bitcoin and other digital assets, followed by annual updates. Qualifying holdings would transfer within 30 days after the reserve and stockpile are established.
Treasury would also publish cryptographic proof of reserves and annual reports covering holdings, transactions and private-key control, with independent third-party audits and regular oversight from the Comptroller General. Section 9 would require Treasury and Commerce to study the risks, costs and potential benefits of additional Bitcoin acquisitions within 180 days of enactment.
Frequently asked questions
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What did the House Financial Services Committee approve?
The committee advanced H.R. 8957, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, by a 28–21 vote. The bill would establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate Digital Asset Stockpile within Treasury.
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When would the 20-year Bitcoin holding period begin?
The 20-year minimum would begin upon enactment of the bill, not when the committee votes or when individual Bitcoin holdings were acquired or deposited.
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Would ARMA immediately authorize new federal Bitcoin purchases?
No. The bill would require Treasury and Commerce to study the risks, costs and potential benefits of additional Bitcoin acquisitions within 180 days of enactment.
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What reporting requirements would the proposed reserve have?
Treasury would provide public cryptographic proof of reserves and annual reports covering holdings, transactions and private-key control. The framework also calls for independent audits and Comptroller General oversight.
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Which federal digital assets would enter the reserve or stockpile?
Qualifying federal Bitcoin would enter the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, while other qualifying digital assets would enter the separate stockpile. Assets legally required for other purposes would be excluded.
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