U.S. House Eliminates 1M BTC Purchase Target in New Strategic Reserve Bill, Adds 20-Year Lockup

According to ChainCatcher, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), eliminating the 1 million BTC purchase requirement from earlier proposals while requiring a minimum 20-year lockup period for bitcoins held as strategic reserves. Under the new bill, the government will primarily add bitcoins obtained through criminal and civil forfeitures to its reserve rather than making direct purchases.

Bitcoins entering the strategic reserve cannot be sold, exchanged, auctioned, pledged, or otherwise disposed of during the 20-year lockup. After this period, the Treasury Secretary may recommend selling up to 10% of reserves within any two-year window. The bill also mandates quarterly public disclosure of reserve holdings and third-party audits of bitcoin custody.