American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 advances to committee markup

The House Financial Services Committee has a markup of the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 scheduled for September 16, 2026, with the bill set to progress to the full House if approved. It's the most concrete legislative step yet toward making Bitcoin a permanent fixture on the federal balance sheet.

The bill, known as ARMA (H.R. 8957), was introduced on May 21, 2026, by Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) and co-led by Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME). It has attracted over 20 bipartisan co-sponsors.

At its core, ARMA consolidates all federally held Bitcoin, most of which the government acquired through civil and criminal asset forfeitures, into a single centralized treasury account.

The bill's most striking provision is a mandatory 20-year holding period for all Bitcoin in the reserve. The government would not be allowed to sell, trade, or otherwise liquidate these holdings for two decades.

To keep things transparent, ARMA requires quarterly public Proof-of-Reserve audits. The bill mandates cryptographic attestations alongside third-party audits, meaning anyone with a blockchain explorer could independently verify the government's holdings.

The legislation prohibits funding the reserve through new taxes, government borrowing, or deficit spending. The only Bitcoin entering the reserve would come from assets already lawfully seized by federal authorities.