U.S. Proposes New Bitcoin Reserve Bill with 20-Year Lockup, Abandons 1 Million BTC Purchase Target

ChainCatcher report: The U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a new bipartisan bill, the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), proposing to include Bitcoin held by the U.S. government in its strategic reserves and requiring that these assets be locked for at least 20 years. Unlike the previously proposed BITCOIN Act, the new bill no longer mandates that the U.S. government purchase 1 million BTC; instead, it primarily aims to incorporate Bitcoin already acquired or subsequently obtained through criminal and civil forfeitures into the reserve. The bill also establishes a separate digital asset inventory to manage federal holdings of non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies. Under the draft, Bitcoin added to the strategic reserve cannot be sold, exchanged, auctioned, mortgaged, or otherwise disposed of for 20 years. After the lock-up period, the Secretary of the Treasury may recommend selling up to 10% of the reserve assets within any two-year period. The bill further requires the government to publicly disclose reserve proofs on a quarterly basis and subject its Bitcoin holdings to third-party audits. Supporters argue that the United States should not sell strategic digital assets but instead hold them long-term as part of a modernized national reserve system.