The vision of a national strategic cryptocurrency reserve in the US is becoming increasingly concrete. Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest and a leading figure on the innovative investment scene, recently stated that the US government may soon move from words to deeds, starting to actively purchase Bitcoin to fuel what has already become an institutional reality under the Trump administration.
The question is no longer if, but when. Currently, the strategic reserve only includes Bitcoins confiscated through government seizure actions, a prudent choice but limited in its potential. The stated goal of reaching one million BTC seems ambitious if one relies solely on forfeitures. Wood has no doubts: ‘I think they will start buying,’ he said during an episode of the Bitcoin Brainstorm podcast, signalling an imminent change of strategy.
The motivations behind this possible shift are multiple and deeply rooted in American politics. Trump, according to Wood, does not want to be remembered as a president halved by the midterm elections. The crypto community played a decisive role in his re-election, and keeping this electorate loyal means continuing to support industry-friendly policies. It is not just an electoral issue: the Trump family has significant investments in the blockchain industry, creating an alignment of interests that goes beyond political rhetoric.
The cryptocurrency industry demonstrated an impressive mobilisation capacity during the last election cycle. Political action committees such as Stand With Crypto channelled generous funds towards favourable candidates, while prominent figures such as the Winklevoss twins personally donated to the Trump campaign. This political influence has not gone unnoticed by the White House, which has already organised events dedicated to the sector and welcomed proposals from the industry for the formation of a working group led by David Sacks, special advisor on AI and crypto.
The executive order signed by Trump essentially turned the seized Bitcoins into a national strategic asset, comparable to gold stored at Fort Knox. But the document also instructs the Treasury and Commerce departments to explore budget-neutral strategies to increase reserves. A vague formulation that leaves many doors open, including that of direct market purchases. If the United States were to actually enter as an institutional buyer, the implications for Ethereum and the entire crypto market would be enormous, likely triggering a chain reaction among nations that don’t want to fall behind in the race for digital storage.
Wood also mentioned the importance of obtaining a de minimis tax exemption for small cryptocurrency transactions, a measure that would eliminate capital gains taxes on everyday purchases. States like Florida and Texas are already legislating in this direction, creating a regulatory patchwork that could anticipate federal reform.
The real game is played between Washington and Wall Street, between regulation and innovation, between those who want to control and those who want to decentralise. And while politicians talk about strategic reserves, the markets watch, wait, speculate. Because if the most powerful government in the world really starts buying Bitcoin, we are no longer talking about adoption: we are talking about inevitability.
