Key Takeaways
- The US government is finalizing a comprehensive audit of its Bitcoin holdings this Saturday.
- This audit will be the first complete accounting of government-held Bitcoin across federal agencies.
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The US Department of the Treasury and other federal agencies are anticipated to disclose their holdings of Bitcoin and other crypto assets on April 5, in line with President Trump’s recent directive.
Whether XRP, Solana, and Cardano—the digital assets that the president previously mentioned—will be included in the national digital asset stockpile will also be clarified soon.
On March 6, Trump issued an executive order forming a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile.
According to a presidential document published on March 11, all federal agencies must report their holdings of Bitcoin and other digital assets to the Treasury Secretary within 30 days of the order.
The Treasury Secretary is also directed to establish two offices to manage government-held digital assets. The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will hold Bitcoin acquired through criminal or civil forfeiture and will not sell Bitcoin, positioning it as a “digital Fort Knox” for long-term value storage.
David Bailey, CEO of BTC Inc, suggested that the audit results could shed light on Bitcoin’s recent price movements.
Despite the announcement of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, Bitcoin volatility remained high and its price continued to decline, mainly driven by trade war and recession concerns. Since the establishment of the reserve, Bitcoin’s price has fallen approximately 10%, dropping from over $92,000 to $82,000.
“Depending on what we learn, might answer many of the open questions about the recent price action,” said Bailey.
According to data tracked by Arkham Intelligence, the US government currently holds 198,012 BTC worth around $16 billion.
David Sacks, the White House’s crypto czar, said that the government previously held approximately 400,000 Bitcoin through civil and criminal asset forfeitures over the past decade.
However, about half of this amount—195,000 BTC—was sold, generating $366 million in proceeds. If the government had retained all 400,000 BTC, its value today would exceed $17 billion.
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