US rules out new Bitcoin purchases for strategic reserve

• US Government to Maintain Reserve Without New Bitcoins
• Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Will Not Use Public Funds
• Sale of confiscated Bitcoins will be halted, says Treasury

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the federal government does not intend to acquire new Bitcoins for the Strategic Reserve created earlier this year. He said the digital assets currently stored—estimated at between $15 and $20 billion—were obtained exclusively through legal confiscation, not through purchase with public funds.

The reserve was established by executive order of the current US president in March 2025, with the goal of securing a strategic amount of Bitcoin. However, Bessent reinforced that any future expansion would only occur through methods classified as "budget-neutral," that is, without the direct use of federal funds.

During a recent interview, the secretary was emphatic in stating that there are no plans to increase the current reserve. Instead, the Treasury's focus is on suspending the sale of confiscated Bitcoins, a common practice in previous years. This change in stance represents a break from the frequent liquidations previously carried out, when seized digital assets were sold at public auctions.

The government's signal reinforces a more conservative approach to Bitcoin, despite implicitly recognizing its role as a strategic asset. Even with the maintenance of current BTC funds, the lack of new purchases could influence market perceptions of US institutional involvement in the cryptocurrency sector.

It's worth noting that internal discussions about the use of budget-neutral strategies have been underway for months. Bessent, who has previously advocated for this model, stated that the economic team will continue to analyze ways to manage digital assets without compromising the national budget.

The policy of retaining Bitcoins already held, without increasing the reserve, can directly impact market liquidity, especially in times of high volatility. By halting sales, the Treasury no longer exerts significant selling pressure, which can benefit the asset's price behavior in the long term.