Less than a week after announcing plans for a “crypto strategic reserve,” US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday night to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
“The Reserve will be funded with Bitcoin that the federal government has acquired through criminal or civil asset forfeiture,” stated David Sacks, the White House AI and Crypto Advisor, in a post on X. “This means it will not cost taxpayers anything.”
The executive order also mandates a comprehensive audit of the federal government’s digital asset holdings. Currently, the US government holds 198,109 BTC, valued at approximately $17 billion based on current market prices, as reported by Bitcoin Treasuries.
Sacks confirmed that Bitcoin in the reserve will not be sold and will instead serve as a stored value similar to a “digital Fort Knox” for the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
Additionally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are authorized to devise budget-neutral strategies for acquiring more Bitcoin, ensuring no additional costs for American taxpayers, Sacks added.
