U.S. House Drafts ARMA to Restrict Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Sales for 20 Years

U.S. Representatives Nick Begich and Jared Golden have introduced draft legislation dubbed the American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 (ARMA), according to The Block. The proposal would create a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate digital-asset reserve to hold non-bitcoin assets. Under ARMA, any bitcoin placed in the reserve would be locked up for at least 20 years. During that period, the holdings could not be sold, exchanged, auctioned, or otherwise disposed of. The draft differs from the earlier BITCOIN Act, which called for the acquisition of 1 million bitcoins within five years. ARMA sets no purchase target, instead directing the Treasury and Commerce Departments to study ways to expand holdings through "budgetneutral" approaches. The bill would also require federal agencies to disclose their digital-asset holdings within 60 days of enactment, and to conduct quarterly reserve proofs, independent audits, and congressional oversight.