Crypto Council: BTC Reserve Is a 'Priority' but Legalities Hinder Process

Crypto Council: BTC Reserve Is a ‘Priority’ but Legalities Hinder Process

The bill is still a “priority,” White House Crypto Council Director Patrick Witt said, but interagency legalities remain a challenge.

Progress is being made toward establishing a Bitcoin () strategic reserve in the United States, but “obscure” legal provisions are holding up the process, according to Patrick Witt, the director of the White House Crypto Council.

Several government agencies are discussing the legalities and regulatory issues of establishing a , including the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), Witt the Crypto in America podcast. He said:

“It seems straightforward, but then you get into some obscure legal provisions, and why this agency can’t do it, but actually, this other agency could. We’re continuing to push on that. It is certainly still on the priority list right now.”

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order and a “” that included altcoins and other types of cryptocurrencies in March 2025.

United States, White House, Donald Trump, Bitcoin Reserve — *Trump signs the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile order. Source:*

Establishing a nation-state Bitcoin reserve would be a landmark moment for the world’s first digital currency. However, some in the Bitcoin community have been critical of the executive order, criticizing the Trump administration for .

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Trump’s executive order stipulated that the US government would not sell any of its Bitcoin holdings and only add to the strategic reserve through BTC seized in asset forfeiture cases.

The executive order does not allow the government to acquire more Bitcoin or digital assets on the open market, which drew criticism from the Bitcoin community.

“The belief that the federal government will one day build a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve requires a complete detachment from reality,” Bitcoin maximalist Justin Bechler .

“There is no movement toward a Bitcoin reserve. There is no intention to acquire a fixed-supply asset in good faith. There are only empty speeches, vague references and opportunistic pandering from Washington politicians,” he added.

In July 2025, the Trump administration released a long-awaited on digital asset policy that did not include additional details on a strategic BTC reserve, which drew further .

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed in August 2025 that the government could , which do not add to the annual budget deficit.

The announcement renewed hopes that the US government could start buying BTC on the open market through converting portions of other reserve assets to BTC or and using those gains to acquire more Bitcoin.

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