The U.S. government holds 328,372 BTC seized through law enforcement, making it the largest sovereign Bitcoin holder in the world. An executive order bars the coins from being sold, and Congress is weighing bills that could expand the reserve toward 1 million BTC.
The United States government holds 328,372 BTC, worth approximately $25 billion, making it the largest sovereign holder of Bitcoin on the planet. None of it was purchased — every coin came from criminal and civil asset forfeitures, including seizures tied to the Silk Road marketplace and the Bitfinex hack.
From evidence locker to strategic asset
That shift into a formal reserve happened when President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14233 on March 6, 2025, establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The order consolidated all federally seized Bitcoin under a single framework and explicitly prohibited selling any of it.
Treasury now manages the reserve alongside a separate U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, which handles other forfeited tokens that aren't Bitcoin. The executive order treats Bitcoin differently from every other digital asset, giving it its own tier on the government's balance sheet.
Congress weighs a bigger reserve
Two bills, the BITCOIN Act and the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA), are pending in Congress with the goal of codifying the reserve into law so a future president couldn't reverse it by executive order alone. Both also explore frameworks for acquiring Bitcoin beyond what law enforcement seizes.
Some legislative proposals envision the U.S. eventually holding up to 1 million BTC, or nearly 5% of Bitcoin's 21 million supply cap. As of July 2026, those expanded targets remain unresolved amid inter-agency coordination challenges.
What the lockup means for supply
The current 328,372 BTC already accounts for roughly 1.5% of Bitcoin's total supply cap, and because the executive order bars sales, those coins are effectively removed from the liquid market. The signal to other nations may matter more than the direct supply effect: several countries have already begun exploring similar frameworks now that the world's largest economy treats Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.
Traders should watch the legislative calendar. If either the BITCOIN Act or ARMA passes with provisions for active Bitcoin acquisition beyond seizures, it would mark a demand dynamic the market hasn't priced in.
Source: Crypto Briefing
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
