Trump Administration Eyes Massive Bitcoin Acquisition for Reserve, Says Crypto Council’s Bo Hines

Highlights:

• U.S. explores Bitcoin acquisition without using taxpayer funds, says Bo Hines.
• Trump’s administration focuses on acquiring more Bitcoin, working with Treasury and Commerce.
• Hines compares Bitcoin reserves to gold, aiming to accumulate as much as possible.

At the Blockworks Digital Asset Summit on Tuesday, the executive director of Donald Trump’s digital assets council Bo Hines disclosed that the administration is seeking budget-neutral ways to acquire Bitcoin (BTC) without using taxpayer funds. He stressed the importance of the U.S. having, maintaining, and expanding its digital gold reserves. Bitcoin is often called digital gold because of its store-of-value properties.

JUST IN – 🇺🇸 President Trump's Executive Director on digital assets: "We talked about ways of acquiring more Bitcoin in budget neutral ways."

We want "as much as we can get." 🚀 pic.twitter.com/zK8PyQK1Rw

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) March 18, 2025

Trump Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

On March 6, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) and the United States Digital Asset Stockpile. The SBR will hold approximately 200,000 Bitcoin seized through criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings.

The Digital Asset Stockpile will contain other digital assets acquired similarly. To expand these reserves without burdening taxpayers, the Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are tasked with developing budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin. During the White House Digital Asset Summit on March 7, Trump stated, “The Treasury and Commerce Departments will explore new ways to expand Bitcoin reserves.”

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Trump said “The Treasury and Commerce Departments will also explore new pathways to accumulate additional Bitcoin holdings for the reserve.” pic.twitter.com/0l7vrghMgD

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) March 7, 2025

U.S. Government to Buy More BTC

On March 18, at an event, Hines reaffirmed the plan, stating the administration is focused on finding ways to acquire more Bitcoin. He mentioned that Trump’s Crypto Council is collaborating with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Treasury to develop acquisition strategies.

Hines added:

“The President was adamant about creating the [Strategic Bitcoin Reserve]. We wanted to make sure that we did it right in a way that respected Bitcoin for being so unique, and also gave credence to innovation and other spaces in the digital asset world.”

The administration classifies BTC as a commodity, not a security, because of its intrinsic value. He said Bitcoin has no issuer, making it unique, with what some call its “immaculate conception.”

How Much BTC Is Enough for the US?

Hines highlighted the need for the U.S. to accumulate assets for its citizens. He noted that President Trump is focused on building reserves rather than reducing them. When asked about acquisition targets, Hines compared it to a country’s gold reserves, suggesting the aim is to accumulate as much as possible. “That’s like asking a country, how much gold do you want? Right? I mean, as much as we can get,” he said.

Notably, after Trump’s executive order called for budget-neutral Bitcoin acquisition, Senator Cynthia Lummis reintroduced her BITCOIN Act. The bill aims to secure the Bitcoin reserve under Trump’s administration and work toward accumulating 1 million BTC. Moreover, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds plans to introduce a bill to make President Trump’s executive order on a strategic Bitcoin reserve permanent.