Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently caused confusion and controversy by initially stating that the U.S. would not be "buying" Bitcoin to expand its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, prompting concerns that no further acquisitions were planned. This led to a sharp drop in Bitcoin’s price, with the market reacting swiftly to the implication that the U.S. government was retreating from an aggressive crypto strategy.
However, Bessent quickly clarified his remarks, publicly reinforcing Treasury's commitment to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more Bitcoin. He specifically referenced the ongoing goal of expanding the Bitcoin reserve to fulfill President Trump’s promise to make the U.S. the “global Bitcoin superpower”.
“Treasury is committed to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more Bitcoin to expand the reserve, and to execute on the President’s promise to make the United States the ‘Bitcoin superpower of the world.’” —Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary
Key Points of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Initiative
Reserve Origins: The U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve was established via executive order in March 2025, mainly composed of Bitcoin seized from criminal investigations, currently valued between $15 billion and $20 billion. New acquisitions are not expected to come from direct budget expenditures but from assets forfeited to the federal government.
Budget-Neutral Acquisition: Instead of purchasing with taxpayer money, the Treasury is focused on expanding the reserve through confiscations and other non-budget methods, such as retaining seized assets instead of auctioning them off, marking a shift from previous policies.
