Philippines Congressman Proposes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

A Congressman within the Philippines has launched a proposal to ascertain a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that may see the nation’s central financial institution, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), buy as much as 10,000 BTC. 

Submitted as invoice quantity 421 by Congressman Miguel Luis Villafuerte, the proposed “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act” mandates the acquisition of two,000 BTC yearly over a five-year interval.

That BTC can be locked up for 20 years as a part of a “holding interval.”  

“Through the minimal holding interval, no Bitcoin held within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve could also be bought, swapped, auctioned, encumbered, or in any other case disposed of for any goal aside from retiring excellent authorities debt devices,” Villafuerte wrote within the invoice.

If enacted, the invoice would make the Philippines one of many first international locations in Asia to legislate a sovereign strategic BTC reserve.

Bitcoin Can Present Monetary Stability

Within the invoice, the Congressman mentioned that “BTC’s development has outpaced all different asset courses, with a compound annual development charge of about 40% over a five-year interval,” including that the crypto has joined “the ranks of conventional property comparable to money, gold, and actual property.” 

The proposed invoice follows a January report from the nation’s Bureau of the Treasury that mentioned nationwide debt hit $285 billion, which equated to 60% of the nation’s gross home product (GDP). 

Villafuerte subsequently argued that it’s vital “that the Philippines stockpile strategic property comparable to BTC to serve vital nationwide pursuits comparable to offering monetary stability, amongst others.”

“With the growing function of cryptocurrency on this planet’s monetary system, it’s crucial to enact measures geared toward diversifying our property to make sure monetary safety,” he wrote. 

The Congressman added that the Philippines can “promote and preserve financial prowess, together with financial stability and the convertibility of the peso, particularly in occasions of disaster,” by stockpiling BTC. 

As a way to securely retailer the Bitcoin within the proposed reserve, Villafuerte mentioned the central financial institution should set up “a decentralized community of safe Bitcoin storage services throughout the nation” that may safeguard the keys to the nation’s holdings. 

These places can even be “geographically dispersed all through the Philippines.” That is to cut back the chance of “simultaneous compromise,” whereas concurrently enhancing the resilience of the reserve.

The central financial institution can be liable for the “ongoing monitoring and auditing” of the reserve’s holdings as effectively. Quarterly experiences on the reserve’s property can even need to be made publicly out there. These experiences will present “detailed info” on the reserve’s whole holdings and any transactions, and in addition must display management of the reserve’s non-public keys.

One yr earlier than the 20-year holding interval is over, the central financial institution should submit suggestions to Congress on whether or not to proceed “voluntarily” holding the Bitcoin, or “permit for the gradual and managed launch of a portion of the holdings,” in keeping with the proposed invoice.

If the choice to steadily promote the reserve’s holdings is chosen, then the central financial institution will be unable to promote greater than 10% of the property “throughout any 2-year interval.” 

Extra International locations Turning To Bitcoin 

Along with the US, the Congressman famous that BTC has additionally gained traction in different areas of the world as effectively. 

“After the mud settles, I believe the ultimate reserve can be almost solely Bitcoin, and it is going to be bigger than individuals assume”
— Matt Hougan, Bitwise pic.twitter.com/lcRlAOGAOD

— Swan (@Swan) March 6, 2025

These embrace El Salvador, which has already adopted BTC as authorized tender and has began to buy the crypto to carry in its personal reserve. Brazil has additionally launched its personal sovereign strategic BTC reserve often known as RESBit. 

In the meantime, Switzerland is contemplating a BTC reserve alongside gold, whereas Germany’s former Finance Minister Christian Lindner has prompt the European Central Financial institution and the Bundesbank lower their reliance on the greenback and contemplate BTC, Villafuerte wrote within the proposal.

Comparable developments have occurred in Hong Kong, Russia, Poland and Thailand. 

As different governments begin to purchase BTC, Villafuerte predicted that it might possible “set off a wave of BTC” accumulation all over the world. 

Villafuerte then went on to say that BTC’s mounted provide of 21 million cash, might probably restrict the crypto’s devaluation. 

His prediction comes after Bitcoin achieved a brand new all-time excessive (ATH) at $124,457.12 earlier this month. The crypto has since retraced over 10%.

BTC worth chart (Supply: CoinMarketCap)

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