Rep. Begich to Reintroduce ARMA to Codify Trump Bitcoin Order

At the Bitcoin2026 conference in Las Vegas on Monday, Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, announced he will reintroduce legislation to establish bitcoin as a U.S. strategic reserve asset under the name American Reserves Modernization Act, or ARMA. The measure aims to codify President Donald Trump's executive order calling for permanent federal bitcoin holdings.

ARMA would treat bitcoin like a reserve asset and move bitcoin already held by federal agencies into custody arrangements aligned with that classification, Begich told the panel. The proposal follows the executive order that compared potential bitcoin holdings to the nation's gold reserves.

The bill revives Begich's earlier Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide Act, commonly known as the BITCOIN Act, which he reintroduced last year with Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. The prior version included language to acquire up to one million bitcoin over five years using budget-neutral strategies. Begich indicated the updated measure will require bitcoin to be held for a long period but did not provide specifics on acquisition or funding changes.

ARMA would let Congress identify bitcoin already held across government agencies and place those holdings in custodial arrangements consistent with reserve status. ‘Why the renaming — because it's so important for people both in Congress and across the nation to understand what we're actually trying to do,' he told the audience. ‘We're trying to make sure that bitcoin is treated like the reserve asset that it is.'

Begich said he expects to file the bill within weeks and will work with the House Financial Services Committee to build broader support before formal committee consideration. Offices for Begich and Lummis did not respond to requests for comment on potential revisions or a formal timeline.

Begich framed the reintroduction as a way to lock in policy advances under the current administration, adding, ‘We don't know what the next administration is going to be like. What is their stance going to be on bitcoin and other digital assets? You want to take the opportunity when you have it to lock in the gains that you experienced under one administration or another, and that's where Congress can really act.'

Proposals to create a federal bitcoin reserve have drawn both support and skepticism among lawmakers and financial regulators. The rebrand to ARMA follows Begich's outreach to committee members intended to broaden the bill's appeal.