The U.S. Department of the Treasury and other federal agencies are set to disclose their holdings of Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies on April 5. This significant reveal is a direct consequence of President Donald Trump’s executive order issued on March 6, which mandated the formation of both a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) and an overarching Digital Asset Stockpile.
According to a presidential document published on March 11, all federal agencies are required to submit their digital asset holdings to the Treasury Secretary within 30 days following the order. Additionally, the Treasury Secretary has been tasked with establishing two offices to manage the government-held digital assets.
The SBR, which will specifically hold Bitcoin acquired through civil or criminal forfeiture, is designed with a mandate not to sell the BTC—functioning similarly to a “digital Fort Knox” aimed at long-term value storage.
The forthcoming audit results may provide critical insights into Bitcoin’s recent price fluctuations, as noted by David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc and a close advisor to President Trump. On X, Bailey remarked: “April 5th (this Saturday) the USA must complete a full audit of the nation’s Bitcoin holdings. Depending on what we learn, this might answer many open questions about the recent price action.”
When queried about the public release of the audit findings, Bailey suggested, “I imagine we’ll learn quickly.” He further speculated on the government’s Bitcoin holdings, stating, “I suspect less but it’s just a guess.” Addressing how the amount of U.S. government-held BTC could sway market sentiment, Bailey expressed optimism: “Everything is bullish for Bitcoin.”
Questions Over U.S. Bitcoin Holdings
Speculation regarding the actual Bitcoin holdings of the government has been fueled by comments from Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who spoke at the Digital Asset Summit on March 19. She indicated that the prior administration may have divested a considerable portion of the United States’ confiscated BTC. These holdings, which are thought to exceed 207,000 BTC from forfeitures linked to illicit activities, could serve as the basis for the newly established Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
“We’re trying to find out how much Bitcoin and whether they are fully surrendered to U.S. custody,” Lummis stated. “We believe this could constitute the foundation for the first installment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve. We estimate that the United States has maintained about 200,000 Bitcoin in asset forfeiture. However, we remain uncertain about how much of this was sold by the Biden administration just prior to the Trump administration assuming office.”
While official numbers remain unverified, Bo Hines, Executive Director of the U.S. Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, provided additional context concerning the government’s past transactions. In an interview two weeks ago, Hines suggested that the U.S. once held around 400,000 BTC, having sold approximately half of that for a meager fraction of its current market value.
He lamented the lost potential: “Had we retained those assets, they would be valued at $17 billion today. This underscores how critical this asset is and what we can leverage it for to benefit the American populace.”
Hines also confirmed that a budget-neutral expansion of U.S. Bitcoin reserves remains a priority. “We believe that it is in the best interest of Americans to hold and accumulate this asset long term. We are exploring options for creating a digital Fort Knox for the United States,” he explained, adding that an internal group is actively considering methods to achieve this goal without imposing costs on taxpayers.
At press time, BTC traded at $84,491.
