White House signals Bitcoin reserve update as lawmakers reintroduce ARMA bill

White House readies a weeks-away update on the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Congress moves to codify it under a rebranded ARMA bill.

Patrick Witt said the executive branch is close. “We believe we’re going to be able to take a big step forward … in the next few weeks,” he told Bitcoin 2026 attendees in Las Vegas. Video.

The update should cover operations and legal basis for the reserve. The White House teased a major announcement at the event. Greek Reporter.

Trump’s March 2025 order created the reserve. It told agencies to hold existing Bitcoin, not sell it, and set a separate stockpile for other digital assets. Bloomingbit.

The reserve today holds seized coins. No new purchases are authorized yet.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Nick Begich push a companion bill. The former Bitcoin Act aimed to acquire up to 1 million BTC in five years through budget‑neutral strategies.

Begich said the bill is rebranded as the American Reserves Modernization Act, ARMA. Details of the reintroduction are not yet public.

Witt stressed sequence. The White House can act first. Congress must codify to make it stick. Video.

Markets remain cautious. Polymarket shows a 23% chance the reserve is formally established before 2027. The Clarity Act, seen as a precursor, is delayed in the Senate.

Ethics provisions are in play. Democrats seek to bar executive officials from promoting or issuing digital assets. Critics cite Trump family ventures as a potential conflict.

The next weeks will show if the White House delivers a concrete framework or sets up a longer legislative path.