U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA), a revised version of the BITCOIN Act that seeks to establish a Treasury-run Strategic Bitcoin Reserve with a 20-year holding requirement. According to reports from crypto.news, Rep. Nick Begich introduced the bill with 16 original co-sponsors, building upon the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve framework created by executive order in March 2025. The legislation would create a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for non-Bitcoin digital assets currently held by the federal government.
Under the proposed ARMA framework, Bitcoin holdings would remain locked for at least 20 years, with exceptions only for debt reduction sales. As reported by crypto.news, Begich's office emphasized that the bill protects the right of Americans to own, transfer, and self-custody digital assets while maintaining government control over strategic digital asset reserves. The legislation also calls for quarterly proof-of-reserve reports and third-party audits to ensure transparency and accountability in federal digital asset management. The 20-year holding requirement would apply to all federally controlled Bitcoin, including assets seized in criminal investigations such as the Silk Road and Bitfinex cases.
The bill addresses what lawmakers describe as the current lack of clear federal policy for managing government-held Bitcoin. According to crypto.news, Golden stated that the U.S. already holds Bitcoin but lacks a clear policy for managing these assets, noting that 'digital currencies are not the fringe phenomenon they once were'. The legislation would establish congressional oversight and require a full accounting of federal digital asset holdings, while directing studies into budget-neutral acquisition methods that avoid higher taxes, deficit spending, or new national debt. Estimates suggest the U.S. government currently controls between 198,000 and 328,000 BTC, worth roughly ₹25 billion at current prices.
The ARMA bill would authorize the Treasury Department to acquire up to 200,000 BTC annually over five years, with the goal of building a reserve of one million Bitcoin. As reported by crypto.news, Begich told FOX Business that Bitcoin's role within the crypto market resembles gold's dominance in precious metals, noting that 'when you look at Bitcoin, it represents about 60% of all market cap for the entire crypto space'. The legislation would establish a more permanent legal foundation than executive orders, as federal statutes cannot be easily reversed by future administrations. The bill's introduction follows comments from Patrick Witt, executive director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, who indicated that a 'big announcement' tied to the administration's Bitcoin reserve plans could arrive in the coming weeks.
