Key Insights
- U.S. Bitcoin reserve bill reaches House committee markup Sept. 16.
- H.R. 8957 would impose a 20-year holding period on reserve Bitcoin.
- The CLARITY Act faces a separate Senate procedural vote Tuesday.
The U.S. Bitcoin reserve bill will reach the House Financial Services Committee on Sept. 16. Lawmakers scheduled H.R. 8957 for a 10:00 a.m. ET markup in Washington. The measure would place a statutory Strategic Bitcoin Reserve inside the Treasury Department.
The bill mattered because President Donald Trump already created a reserve through executive action in March 2025. H.R. 8957 would move that policy into federal statute. That shift could make the reserve harder for a future administration to reverse unilaterally.
U.S. Bitcoin Reserve Bill Heads to Committee Markup
The House Financial Services Committee listed H.R. 8957 among measures scheduled for Wednesday’s markup. The committee record identified the bill as the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026. Rep. Nick Begich introduced it on May 21 with Rep. Jared Golden as a Democratic co-lead.
Government Publishing Office records showed the measure remained referred to the Financial Services Committee before the markup. The legislation would direct Treasury to establish the reserve within 180 days after enactment. Treasury would also create a separate stockpile for federally held non-Bitcoin digital assets.
Begich said in May that the proposal would bring federal digital asset holdings under a clearer statutory framework. Golden argued Congress had never established a durable federal policy for government-held Bitcoin. Their statements framed the bill as a custody and governance measure rather than a mandatory purchasing program.
U.S. Bitcoin Reserve Bill Sets a 20-Year Holding Rule
The bill text would require the Treasury to maintain a Bitcoin reserve for at least 20 years. During that period, Treasury could not sell, swap, auction, encumber, or otherwise dispose of reserve holdings. Treasury would later study possible exceptions tied to national security or financial stability.
H.R. 8957 would also require quarterly proof-of-reserve reports on Treasury’s official website. Those reports would cover total holdings, transactions, and demonstrated control of relevant private keys. An independent third-party auditor would verify the reports, while the Government Accountability Office would conduct oversight.
The legislation would consolidate qualifying forfeited Bitcoin after Treasury certifies the reserve as operational. Agencies would first provide a full accounting of controlled Bitcoin and other digital assets. Court-ordered transfers, victim restitution, and national-security cases would receive limited treatment under the bill.
Treasury could sell or convert non-Bitcoin assets held in the separate stockpile. The bill directs proceeds toward additional reserve Bitcoin or national debt reduction. States could also place Bitcoin in segregated Treasury accounts while retaining legal title to their holdings.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Would Extend Trump’s Executive Policy
Trump signed Executive Order 14233 on March 6, 2025, creating the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. The order directed Treasury to capitalize the reserve with finally forfeited government Bitcoin. It also stated that Bitcoin deposited into the reserve should not be sold.
The executive order allowed Treasury and Commerce to study budget-neutral acquisition strategies. H.R. 8957 would direct another study covering possible acquisitions over five years. The bill would examine non-Bitcoin asset conversions and other lawful, budget-neutral funding approaches.
This distinction separates the proposal from legislation requiring large open-market Bitcoin purchases. The U.S. Bitcoin reserve bill does not mandate a fixed Bitcoin acquisition target. Instead, it centers on custody, retention, reporting, and possible budget-neutral expansion.
The bill also protects lawful private ownership, transfer, and self-custody of digital assets. That provision limits the reserve framework to government assets and voluntary state participation. It does not authorize federal seizure of privately held Bitcoin.
U.S. Crypto Regulation Faces Two Votes This Week
The reserve markup comes during a broader week for U.S. crypto regulation. Senate scheduling records showed the CLARITY Act faces a cloture vote on Sept. 15. The procedural vote concerns whether the Senate will advance consideration of H.R. 3633.
That timing places the reserve measure alongside a separate fight over digital asset market structure. The CLARITY Act addresses regulatory treatment across crypto markets, while H.R. 8957 focuses on federal government holdings. The bills therefore target different parts of U.S. crypto regulation.
The Sept. 16 markup remains an early legislative step for H.R. 8957. Committee approval would not enact the measure or constitute a full House vote. The next verifiable milestone is Wednesday’s Financial Services Committee markup in Washington.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or investment advice. Legislative proposals can be amended during the congressional process and may not become law in their current form.
