Representatives Nick Begich and Jared Golden introduced the bipartisan American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA) to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The bill mandates a strict 20-year lockup period for federal bitcoin holdings, with any future sales restricted to reducing the national debt. ARMA consolidates the government's $26 billion in seized digital assets under the Treasury, requiring quarterly audited proof-of-reserve reports and strict congressional oversight.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve legislation
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers in the House of Representatives
- ▪Representative Nick Begich and Representative Jared Golden introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026, or ARMA, to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
Twenty-year asset lockup period
- ▪After the 20-year lockup period, the Treasury secretary can recommend selling up to 10% of the reserve's assets in any two-year period, with proceeds restricted to reducing the national debt
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 requires all bitcoin deposited into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve to be locked up for a minimum of 20 years
Bitcoin acquisition mechanisms
- ▪Unlike earlier proposals targeting 1 million bitcoin, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 draft specifies no exact purchase target and focuses on budget-neutral mechanisms
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 directs the Treasury and Commerce departments to study acquisition methods including gold certificate revaluations, forfeiture proceedings, and tariff revenues
Digital Asset Stockpile management
- ▪The federal government's existing digital assets, valued at roughly $26 billion, would be consolidated under the Treasury rather than scattered across multiple agencies
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 establishes a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for non-bitcoin assets held by the federal government and managed by the Treasury
Quarterly proof-of-reserve reporting
- ▪The Treasury must show its work every three months, proving it holds the exact digital assets claimed, with outside auditors verifying the figures
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 mandates quarterly public proof-of-reserve reports backed by independent third-party audits
Congressional oversight requirements
- ▪The legislation implements strict congressional oversight to maintain transparency regarding the federal government's digital asset holdings
- ▪The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 requires federal agencies to provide a full accounting of digital assets under their control within 60 days of enactment
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