A former White House advisor said Trump still intends to increase his holdings of strategic reserve Bitcoin, but faces legal obstacles.
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AT A GLANCE
A former White House advisor said Trump still intends to increase the strategic reserve of Bitcoin, but legal obstacles remain regarding purchase authorization and the permanent establishment of the reserve.
Article
[Former White House Advisor: Trump Still Intends to Add Bitcoin to the U.S. Strategic Reserve, but Faces Legal Hurdles]
Former White House cryptocurrency advisor Patrick Witt stated on the podcast “What Bitcoin Did” that President Trump remains interested in purchasing Bitcoin to bolster the U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, and related plans have been discussed multiple times previously. However, Witt pointed out that, since the U.S. Congress holds authority over federal spending, there is legal uncertainty regarding the government’s direct purchase of Bitcoin in the open market. Congress has already included relevant restrictive provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), prohibiting such direct purchases. The government is currently seeking to obtain the necessary authorization. In March 2025, the U.S. government established a strategic Bitcoin reserve through an executive order, with initial assets primarily derived from Bitcoins previously seized by the government, and tasked the Treasury and Commerce Departments with exploring budget-neutral methods to acquire more BTC; however, no specific plan has yet been announced, nor has a public-market purchase plan been declared. Witt also noted that enshrining the strategic Bitcoin reserve as permanent through an independent bill would face significant challenges given the divided Congress. Without legislative support, the reserve currently relies on executive orders, and future presidents could potentially rescind it via new executive orders.
Key points
01
According to reports, former White House cryptocurrency advisor Patrick Witt stated in "What Bitcoin Did" that Trump remains interested in purchasing Bitcoin and bolstering the U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve.
02
Witt pointed out that Congress holds the power over federal spending, and restrictions prohibiting such direct purchases have already been included in the National Defense Authorization Act; the government is currently seeking to obtain the relevant authorization.
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The report notes that in March 2025, the U.S. government established a strategic Bitcoin reserve through an executive order, with initial assets primarily derived from previously confiscated Bitcoins.
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The report notes that the Treasury and Commerce Departments have been asked to explore budget-neutral ways to acquire more BTC, but no specific plan has been announced, nor has a public market purchase program been declared.
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Witt stated that enshrining the reserve permanently through standalone legislation faces difficulties; in the absence of legislative support, future presidents could potentially rescind the reserve via new executive orders.
AI-assisted interpretation
The following is analysis, separate from reported facts. Verify important claims independently.
This report concerns purchase intentions, not actual purchases. It distinguishes between building reserves using previously confiscated bitcoins and the government directly purchasing bitcoins on the open market; the latter still involves authorization issues, and the specific plan has not yet been announced.
Why it matters to readers
The key to the message is whether the intent to purchase can be translated into a concrete plan for obtaining authorization, and whether the reserve can secure legislative support rather than relying solely on executive orders.
Do not treat “intention to purchase” as “already purchased,” nor interpret “establishing a reserve” as an announced open-market buying plan.
Risks and unknowns
The evidence is a relayed account and does not provide the original podcast text; Patrick Witt’s complete statement remains to be verified.
The original text of the relevant provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act has not been provided, and the specific scope of the restrictions and their manner of application remain to be verified.
It remains unclear whether the government can obtain purchase authorization and how the budget-neutral increase-in-ownership plan will be implemented.
It remains uncertain whether the permanentization of the reserve will gain legislative support, or whether it will be revoked in the future.
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Related concepts
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
This term is not in the glossary yet. Browse related concepts in the glossary.
