On May 23, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a new bipartisan bill, the 'American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026' (ARMA), which aims to include Bitcoin held by the U.S. government in its strategic reserves, requiring a lock-in period of at least 20 years. Unlike the previously proposed BITCOIN Act, the new bill no longer mandates the U.S. government to purchase 1 million BTC; instead, it focuses on incorporating Bitcoin already held or acquired in the future through criminal and civil forfeiture into the reserves. Additionally, the bill will establish an independent digital asset inventory to manage non-Bitcoin cryptocurrency assets held by the federal government. According to the draft, Bitcoin entering the strategic reserves cannot be sold, exchanged, auctioned, mortgaged, or otherwise disposed of for 20 years. After the lock-in period, the Secretary of the Treasury may propose selling up to 10% of the reserve assets within any two-year period. The bill also requires the government to publicly disclose reserve proof quarterly and conduct third-party audits of Bitcoin holdings. Supporters argue that the U.S. should not sell strategic digital assets but should hold them as part of a modernized national reserve system.
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