Congressman Nick Begich (AK-AL) and co-lead Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) have launched the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), bipartisan laws to determine a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve inside the U.S. Division of the Treasury.
The invoice attracted 17 unique co-sponsors at introduction, spanning representatives from Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Utah, Iowa, Ohio, New York, West Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Tennessee, and past.
What the invoice does
ARMA would consolidate custody of all federally held digital belongings — acquired via forfeitures, penalties, and different lawful proceedings — beneath the Treasury.
A separate Digital Asset Stockpile would maintain non-bitcoin digital belongings.
Bitcoin positioned within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve can be required to remain there for at least 20 years.
The invoice mandates quarterly public “Proof of Reserve” experiences, impartial third-party audits, and congressional oversight.
It additionally directs a research on budget-neutral acquisition methods to increase reserves with out elevating taxes or including to the nationwide debt.
Lawmakers make the case
Golden framed the laws as a matter of congressional authority, noting that the U.S. authorities already holds vital bitcoin with no statutory framework guiding what occurs to it.
He acknowledged:
“Administrations have auctioned it off or held it in reserve, in line with the whims of the chief department. By making a strategic reserve with the load of legislation, the ARMA reinforces stability and provides Congress extra time to determine long-term coverage for the way the federal authorities approaches cryptocurrency.”
Congressman Pat Harrigan drew a direct comparability to gold, saying:
“Bitcoin is the digital equal of gold, and simply as gold reserves have anchored American monetary safety for generations, a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve positions america on the forefront of twenty first century finance.”
Property rights and nationwide competitors
Past reserve administration, the invoice affirms that the federal authorities might not impair the lawful proper of people to personal, switch, or self-custody digital belongings.
A number of co-sponsors pointed to competitors with China and different overseas adversaries as a driving motivation, arguing the U.S. dangers ceding monetary management if it fails to undertake a coherent digital asset technique.
Congressman Begich acknowledged:
“Personal property rights are elementary to the American Best, and people rights should lengthen totally into the digital house. As the worldwide economic system evolves, america should embrace insurance policies that defend particular person liberty, encourage new innovation programs, and diversify America’s core reserves steadiness sheet.”