Trump Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve at Crypto Summit

In a landmark moment for Bitcoin, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. will hold onto its Bitcoin reserves, departing from past administrations that liquidated large BTC holdings.

“From this day on, America will follow the rule that everyone in Bitcoin knows very well — never sell your Bitcoin.”
— President Donald Trump, March 7, 2025, at the White House Crypto Summit

The statement, made at the first-ever White House Crypto Summit, underscores Trump’s growing alignment with Bitcoin maximalist principles. But the rhetoric wasn’t just talk—the administration formalized its stance with an executive order (EO) signed the night before, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) separate from a broader Digital Asset Stockpile.

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: A Shift in U.S. Policy

Historically, the U.S. government has auctioned off seized Bitcoin, selling an estimated 200,000 BTC over the years—assets that would now be worth billions of dollars. Trump criticized this approach, signaling a fundamental shift in how the U.S. views Bitcoin.

“Unfortunately, in recent years, the U.S. government has foolishly sold tens of thousands of bitcoin… that were worth billions and billions of dollars had they not sold them.”

The President also revealed that the government will seek to increase Bitcoin reserves—but without tapping into taxpayer funds.

“The Treasury and Commerce departments will explore new pathways to accumulate additional bitcoin holdings for the reserve, provided it’s done at no cost to the taxpayers.”

He emphasized that the administration’s strategy will be “budget-neutral,” echoing the language from the executive order.

Who Attended the Summit?

The crypto industry’s biggest names were present at the White House for the summit, alongside key members of the Trump administration:

👤 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
👤 Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
👤 White House Crypto Czar David Sacks
👤 SBA Head Kelly Loeffler

Crypto leaders in attendance included:

✅ Michael Saylor (MicroStrategy)
✅ Brian Armstrong (Coinbase)
✅ Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss (Gemini)
✅ David Bailey (BTC Inc.)

Both David Sacks and Kelly Loeffler praised Trump’s fast-paced approach to Bitcoin and crypto policy, with Sacks stating:

“Your administration is moving at tech [startup] speed.”

Even Commerce Secretary Lutnick vouched for Trump’s growing understanding and support of Bitcoin, saying:

“We’re using blockchain. We’re using Bitcoin. We’re going to use digital assets to push forward, and Donald Trump is leading the way.”

Stablecoins as Money, Bitcoin as a Store of Value

Despite the overwhelmingly pro-Bitcoin tone at the event, there was no mention of Bitcoin being used as a currency. Instead, the administration framed BTC as a savings technology, while stablecoins were positioned as the preferred form of digital money.

Treasury Secretary Bessent reinforced this stance, stating:

“We are going to put a lot of thought into the stablecoin regime. And as President Trump has directed, we are going to keep the U.S. [dollar] the dominant reserve currency in the world, and we will use stablecoins to do that.”

At the same time, Bessent made a bold pro-Bitcoin statement, saying:

“President Trump is creating assets for the American people while most past presidents have created debt.”

What Wasn’t Discussed?

Despite the historic announcements, some topics were notably absent from discussion:

❌ No mention of capital gains tax reform—a rumor that had circulated pre-summit was explicitly denied by senior officials.
❌ No audit disclosure—there was no clarity on whether the U.S. Marshals Service has provided an audit of the government’s Bitcoin holdings.
❌ No details on Bitcoin custody—the administration did not outline how it plans to securely store BTC within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

While these details remain unclear, the overall direction of the summit suggests a major shift in U.S. Bitcoin and digital asset policy.

A Historic Day for Bitcoin

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong summed up the mood of the event, calling it a turning point for the industry.

“It was a pretty historic moment for the crypto industry. President Trump really breathed life back into this industry.”

Just a few years ago, crypto firms faced regulatory crackdowns—now, they’re being invited to the White House. Armstrong sees this as a clear signal of change, but emphasized the importance of passing legislation to solidify these policies.

“Congress is making really good progress on stablecoin and market structure legislation, and hopefully codifying this Strategic Bitcoin Reserve eventually, as well.”

As the U.S. embarks on this new era of Bitcoin adoption, Trump’s pro-crypto pivot has positioned him as the most Bitcoin-friendly president in history.