President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 6, 2025, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. This initiative positions the United States at the forefront of integrating cryptocurrency into national financial strategy in the United States economy.
“[…]President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, positioning the United States as a leader among nations in government digital asset strategy,” part of the White House Fact Sheet read.
Establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
The newly formed Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be initially funded using BTC seized through criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings. White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks described the reserve as a “digital Fort Knox,” emphasizing that the BTC allocated to this reserve will be retained as a store of value and not sold.
This approach ensures that the reserve does not impose additional costs on taxpayers.“The Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided that those strategies have no incremental costs on American taxpayers,” the announcement added.
Czar David Sacks harped that premature sales of bitcoin have already cost U.S. taxpayers over $17 billion in lost value. Now the federal government will have a strategy to maximize the value of its holdings.
Sacks further highlighted that, historically, there hasn’t been a complete accounting of these assets, making this directive a pivotal step toward transparency. However, BTC owned by the U.S. government is estimated at 200,000 coins. The executive order also mandates a comprehensive audit of the federal government’s digital asset holdings.
Read also: Standard Chartered forecasts $500K Bitcoin /(BTC) as Trump Advances U.S. Strategic Crypto Reserve
Creation of the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile
Alongside the Bitcoin reserve, the executive order establishes a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile. This stockpile will encompass digital assets other than Bitcoin, also acquired through forfeiture proceedings. The Treasury Department will oversee this stockpile, ensuring responsible management of the government’s diverse digital assets.
Notably, the government does not plan to acquire additional assets for the stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeitures. President Trump’s endorsement of this initiative marks a notable evolution in his stance on cryptocurrencies.
Previously skeptical, Trump has now embraced digital currencies, referring to himself as the “crypto president” during his recent campaign.
This shift follows his administration’s efforts to integrate cryptocurrency into the national financial framework.The establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has elicited varied reactions from the cryptocurrency community. Tyler Winklevoss, a prominent BTC billionaire, expressed reservations about including cryptocurrencies other than BTC in the reserve.
He stated: “I have nothing against XRP, SOL, or ADA but I do not think they are suitable for a Strategic Reserve. Only one digital asset in the world right now meets the bar and that digital asset is Bitcoin.”
Read also: Donald Trump Confirms U.S. Crypto Reserve Will Include Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Cardano, and Solana
Market responses to the executive order have been measured. Following the announcement, BTC’s price experienced a slight uptick, reflecting the market’s cautious optimism regarding the U.S. government’s formal recognition and support of cryptocurrency.
This executive order preceded the White House’s inaugural Crypto Summit, scheduled for March 7, 2025. The summit convened industry leaders and members of the Presidential Working Group on Digital Assets to discuss the future of crypto regulation and integration into the U.S. financial system. David Sacks chaired the summit, showing the administration’s commitment to engage with industry stakeholders.
