Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced a House bill to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, aligning with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, but differing from a Senate bill proposed by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).
Unlike Lummis’ Bitcoin Act, which mandates the U.S. government to purchase approximately $80 billion in Bitcoin using revalued gold certificates, Donalds’ concise Reserve and Stockpile Act does not specify a predetermined Bitcoin purchase amount.
Instead, it codifies Trump’s plan to create a Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile, funded initially by assets seized in criminal or civil proceedings. Donalds’ bill allows the Treasury and Commerce Secretaries to acquire more Bitcoin if budget-neutral, though this isn’t explicitly detailed in the legislation. This contrasts with Lummis’ more ambitious, potentially costlier proposal.
The White House, while supportive of a Bitcoin Reserve, has not endorsed a specific bill, though Donalds’ simpler approach may appeal amid debates over government spending. The U.S. already holds nearly 200,000 BTC from forfeitures, and Trump’s administration aims to maximize Bitcoin acquisition, as discussed in a recent crypto roundtable led by Bo Hines.