White House Crypto Council: Legalities stall US Bitcoin reserve plans

Progress is being made toward creating a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve, but “obscure” legal provisions are delaying the process, White House Crypto Council Director Patrick Witt said. Witt told the Crypto in America podcast that several agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Office of Legal Counsel, are discussing the legal and regulatory issues.

“It seems straightforward, but then you get into some obscure legal provisions, and why this agency can't do it, but actually, this other agency could. We're continuing to push on that,” he said. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a “Digital Asset Stockpile.” The order stipulates the government would not sell any of its Bitcoin holdings and would only add to the reserve through BTC seized in asset forfeiture cases; it does not permit acquiring crypto on the open market.

That restriction and a July 2025 government report that offered no extra details drew criticism from parts of the Bitcoin community, with figures such as Justin Bechler saying there is “no movement toward a Bitcoin reserve.” In August 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposed budget-neutral strategies that could allow the government to acquire BTC, for example by converting portions of other reserve assets or revaluing metals holdings to fund purchases.

Key Topics

Crypto, Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, Crypto Council, Patrick Witt, Donald Trump, Olc