Bo Hines, the executive director of the presidential council on digital assets, reiterated the administration’s position on establishing a Bitcoin reserve and potential acquisitions.
Since taking office on January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump has enacted two Executive Orders aimed at developing a regulatory framework for digital assets and creating the first national Bitcoin (BTC) reserve. This move is intended to fulfill commitments made to the cryptocurrency community during his campaign.
The most recent directive, released on March 6, authorized an assessment of the nation’s existing BTC assets, which are estimated to be around 200,000 tokens. It also proposed the use of “budget neutral” strategies to consider buying additional Bitcoin, addressing concerns about the national deficit.
On March 18, Hines emphasized this strategy at an event in New York organized by Blockworks. He remarked on the necessity for the U.S. to “have, retain, and build on” its digital gold reserves, noting that BTC is often deemed digital gold due to its value-storing capabilities.
Hines also confirmed that the administration is actively exploring opportunities to increase BTC holdings. “I frequently get asked how much Bitcoin we want, and I say that’s akin to inquiring how much gold a country desires. Our answer is simply: as much as possible,” he stated during his presentation.
The U.S. currently holds the title of the largest nation-state Bitcoin holder, surpassing others by a few thousand tokens. However, this leading position might be challenged due to a recent filing from the Department of Justice.
America’s Bitcoin portfolio primarily consists of criminal seizures from cases such as Silk Road and Bitfinex. Regarding Bitfinex, the DOJ has proposed returning approximately 95,000 BTC that was stolen from the exchange in 2026. If a judge approves this motion, the U.S. would lose its lead to China and become the second-largest sovereign holder of Bitcoin.