The U.S. Congress has introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act, aiming to create a Bitcoin reserve managed by the Treasury.
The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), aimed at creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve managed by the Treasury Department. This initiative is spearheaded by Republican Nick Begich and Democrat Jared Golden.
ARMA outlines the establishment of a Bitcoin reserve along with separate storage for other cryptocurrencies. It mandates federal agencies to maintain thorough accounting and transfer coins for centralized management by the Treasury.
The proposed legislation includes several key provisions:
- Quarterly public disclosures regarding the reserves;
- Independent audits of the reserve;
- Congressional oversight.
Bitcoin held in the reserve must be retained for at least 20 years, with sales allowed only to alleviate national debt.
Furthermore, ARMA recognizes the right of U.S. citizens to own, independently store, and transfer digital assets without limitations.
This bill is a continuation of a directive from former President Donald Trump from March 6, 2025, which called for the establishment of a Bitcoin reserve and mandated the transfer of seized cryptocurrency into it.
The Treasury and Commerce Departments will also explore ways to acquire more coins without incurring costs for taxpayers. Notably, this bill does not specify a target of 1 million BTC for the reserve, a detail found in a previous BITCOIN Act proposed by Senator Cynthia Lummis.
Additionally, on May 19, Trump signed an order to facilitate the integration of digital assets into the traditional financial system and to assess regulatory frameworks for crypto companies' access to payment systems.
