Trump sets the stage for US crypto dominance with new bitcoin reserve order

The reserve will be fully funded through bitcoin seized in asset forfeitures, ensuring no taxpayer money is used, with all assets coming from those already held by the government, according to White House AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks

In a groundbreaking move, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to create a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, an initiative set to position the country as a global leader in cryptocurrency. The announcement was made on Thursday (March 6) just a day before Trump’s meeting with cryptocurrency executives at the White House, signalling the administration’s deepening commitment to the growing digital assets sector.

The reserve will be funded entirely through bitcoin seized in criminal or civil asset forfeitures. This means no taxpayer money will be used to fund the reserve, as all the assets will come from those already held by the government, according to White House AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks. "This will not cost taxpayers a dime," Sacks emphasized in a statement posted on social media.

Details on how the reserve will operate or how it will directly benefit taxpayers remain sparse. However, Sacks underscored that the creation of the reserve is part of a larger plan to make the United States the "crypto capital of the world." He said, “President Trump promised to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. Those promises have been kept,” referencing Trump’s earlier commitments to expand the country’s role in the digital currency space.

Strategies for acquiring digital assets

As part of the executive order, the US government is authorized to develop strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided these strategies do not incur additional costs to taxpayers. The Treasury and Commerce departments are tasked with exploring ways to maximize the value of US bitcoin holdings, which are estimated to number around 200,000, though the total amount has not been officially audited.

In addition to bitcoin, the executive order establishes a broader US Digital Asset Stockpile, which will include digital currencies obtained through forfeiture actions. However, Sacks clarified that the government will not acquire assets for the stockpile beyond those sourced from forfeiture proceedings.

This announcement comes ahead of a White House summit on cryptocurrencies, where Trump is expected to formally unveil his strategy for the reserve, which could include bitcoin and four other major cryptocurrencies. The move is seen as part of a wider push to protect the country’s interests in an increasingly digital financial landscape.

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