The House Financial Services Committee scheduled a markup for the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 on September 16, 2026. If approved, the bill will proceed to the full House for consideration. The legislation, introduced as H.R. 8957 on May 21, 2026, by representatives Nick Begich and Jared Golden, currently has over 20 bipartisan co-sponsors.
The core of the ARMA proposal is to consolidate all federally held Bitcoin into a single centralized treasury account. The government acquired most of these assets through civil and criminal forfeitures. The bill prohibits funding the reserve through new taxes, borrowing, or deficit spending, limiting inflows strictly to assets seized by federal authorities.
A key provision of the bill mandates a 20-year holding period, during which the government cannot sell or trade the Bitcoin. Additionally, the legislation requires quarterly public Proof-of-Reserve audits, combining cryptographic attestations with third-party verification. The bill also creates a separate Digital Asset Stockpile for non-Bitcoin holdings.
This legislative effort builds upon an executive order signed by President Trump on March 6, 2025, which established the initial framework for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. If passed, ARMA would permanently end the historical practice of federal agencies, such as the US Marshals Service, auctioning off seized cryptocurrency.
