U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Bill for 20-Year Bitcoin Lockup, Drop 1 Million BTC Purchase Target

According to The Block, on Thursday Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act (ARMA) to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for the federal government. The bill would require all bitcoin deposited into the reserve to remain locked for a minimum of 20 years, barring any sales or transfers. After the lockup expires, the Treasury secretary could recommend selling up to 10% of the reserve's assets within any two-year period.

Unlike earlier proposals targeting 1 million bitcoin acquisitions over five years, ARMA drops the specific purchase target and instead directs Treasury and Commerce to study "budget-neutral" acquisition mechanisms, including asset conversions, tariff revenues, and forfeiture proceeds. Current U.S. government crypto holdings stand at approximately $26 billion, according to Arkham Intelligence data.