U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent reaffirms budget-neutral acquisition policy for Bitcoin reserves.

Edit Statement

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen posted an important policy shift regarding strategic Bitcoin reserves on X (formerly Twitter) on August 15. The Treasury is considering budget-neutral additional methods for acquiring Bitcoin and has expressed a commitment to realizing President Trump's vision of making the "world's largest Bitcoin superpower."

This post is a response to the statements made during the Fox Business interview on the same day. The Secretary stated on the program that "the government will not make additional purchases," and estimated the current holding value to be between $15 billion and $20 billion, which caused market turmoil.

Director Bessent stated in an X post that "the Bitcoin ultimately confiscated by the federal government will serve as the basis for strategic reserves." He also mentioned that the Treasury is seeking budget-neutral pathways for the expansion of reserves.

In an interview with Fox Business, the Secretary positioned the strategic reserve as an "initiative for the 21st century." He confirmed the policy of halting the sale of confiscated assets and continuing to hold them, and also mentioned the possibility of further expansion through future seizures.

Bo Hines of the Trump administration hinted in April at the possibility of acquiring Bitcoin using tariff revenues. He stated, "There are countless ways beyond tariffs" and explained that a cross-departmental working group is considering various ideas.

The "Bitcoin Law 2025" proposed by Senator Cynthia Lummis is considering a plan to generate funds for purchases through the re-evaluation of gold certificates. The difference between the current valuation of the certificate at $43 per ounce and the actual gold price of over $3,200 was evaluated as an "interesting idea."

The U.S. government currently holds about 200,000 bitcoins, and President Trump signed an executive order in March to establish a strategic reserve. The Lumis bill directs the purchase of up to 1 million bitcoins, and the attention of the market is being drawn by the amendment of Secretary Bessent's remarks.

Topics: Trends of Bitcoin-Holding Companies and Countries Domestically and Internationally