Sixteen members of the US Congress introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA) 2026, which would require the Treasury to accumulate up to 1 million Bitcoin over five years. The initiative is bipartisan, with both Republicans and Democrats among the co-sponsors. If ARMA becomes law, the US would have a permanent federal Bitcoin storage strategy for the first time, rather than an executive order that any future president could revoke on day one.
Along with the target volume, the bill sets a 20-year minimum holding period. The only exception: proceeds from any sale must go exclusively toward reducing the national debt, which has already surpassed $39 trillion.
16 Co-sponsors and Bipartisan Support
Representative Nick Begich (Alaska) serves as the lead sponsor of ARMA. Among the 16 co-sponsors is Jared Golden, a representative from Maine and one of the few Democrats who openly supports Bitcoin legislation. The BITCOIN Act of 2024 had a mostly Republican backing and never reached a floor vote. ARMA attempts to correct that imbalance.
Patrick Witt of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets called the new bill "Version 2" of the BITCOIN Act. He stated that the White House has spent considerable time examining the legal framework for a permanent reserve. "It's a breakthrough as far as getting everything in place, legally sound, properly safeguarding the assets," Witt said. Direct White House support sets ARMA apart from earlier proposals that drew no comment from the Biden administration.
"The US is already one of the largest holders of Bitcoin in the world. But Congress has never set a federal policy on what to do with that asset."
Jared Golden, US Representative (Maine), from official statement on the ARMA Act, May 22, 2026
328,372 BTC in the Treasury With No Legal Framework
The US is already the largest state-level holder of Bitcoin in the world. At the time the bill was filed, the government holds 328,372 BTC with a total market value of over $25.5 billion. These coins were accumulated mostly through criminal seizures and forfeiture proceedings. No act of Congress has ever authorized a deliberate purchase of BTC.
Without a permanent law, each administration can sell these coins through court orders or at will. Portions of the stockpile have already been liquidated via court-ordered sales in prior years. Trump's executive order on the strategic Bitcoin reserve, issued earlier in 2026, is an executive document. Any future president can reverse it from day one in office.
13F filings from public companies and funds for Q1 2026 already show growing interest in BTC as a reserve asset. The corporate sector is moving in parallel: while Congress works to codify a national Bitcoin strategy, companies are independently revisiting balance sheet allocations. The current BTC market price of around $77,000 provides a clear basis for valuing the government's existing holdings.
Holding Conditions and Acquisition Mechanism
The requirement to hold Bitcoin for at least 20 years is the central element of ARMA. Sale is permitted only under one condition: all proceeds must go directly to paying down the national debt. The bill does not allow the reserve to fund government operations in any form.
The top-up to 1 million BTC must come through budget-neutral mechanisms, with no direct tax burden. The public text of the bill does not fully specify the tools involved. Authors point to redirecting seized assets, selling portions of federal gold, or similar procedures. No additional debt issuance to fund BTC purchases is permitted under the bill.
From BITCOIN Act to ARMA: Three Years of Iteration
The BITCOIN Act first appeared in Congress in July 2024 and was updated in March 2025. The core concept stayed the same: 1 million BTC over five years through budget-neutral purchases. ARMA brings a more detailed legal framework, stronger asset protection mechanisms, and a bipartisan author list.
One key structural difference: ARMA is a standalone bill, not an amendment to a budget or financial package. Standalone bills are easier to bring to a separate vote without being tied to larger legislative bundles. Prior experience showed that attaching Bitcoin proposals to omnibus spending bills complicated their path through relevant committees.
The Trump administration openly supports the concept of a permanent reserve. This shift in executive branch stance (compared to 2024) affects passage odds in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to break a potential filibuster.
Price Math: $52 Billion Over Five Years
Buying 671,628 BTC at roughly $77,000 each would cost approximately $51.7 billion in total. Spread evenly over 60 months, that comes to about 11,200 BTC or around $860 million per month. Monthly inflows into US-listed Bitcoin ETFs reached several billion dollars in April 2026. The market can absorb that level of demand, though the price impact would be noticeable.
Markets typically price in future demand ahead of time. A similar pattern played out at the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs: prices moved on regulatory decisions weeks before trading began. If ARMA passes its first vote, a market reaction could arrive well before the Treasury makes any actual purchase.
There is also a supply angle. A 20-year holding requirement means roughly 3.4% of the total 21 million coin supply could exit liquid circulation for two decades. That supply impact may matter more than the purchase price itself. For anyone considering buying Bitcoin for hryvnia, this signals a long-term contraction in market supply driven by the world's largest economy.
Passage Odds and Timeline
ARMA must pass through relevant House committees, clear both chambers, and receive a presidential signature. Bipartisan backing raises the chances of committee review. With active lobbying, a first floor vote could happen in the second half of 2026.
The BITCOIN Act shows how long the road from proposal to law can be. Filed in 2024, updated in 2025, it never made it out of committee. ARMA looks like the most serious attempt yet to codify a Bitcoin reserve, given its bipartisan makeup and direct White House backing. Still, from a filed bill to actual Treasury purchases of BTC, there is a long way to go.
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