US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walked back a line that rattled Bitcoin markets on Thursday, saying the Treasury is still looking at ways to add to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve without raising taxpayer costs.
Bitcoin that has been finally forfeited to the federal government will be the foundation of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that President Trump established in his March Executive Order.
In addition, Treasury is committed to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more…
The Treasury, for its part, also confirmed it will stop selling existing Bitcoin holdings and that the reserve is valued in a range Bessent put at between $15 billion and $20 billion.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox, “We are not going to be buying,” referring to crypto reserves, and will instead use seized assets. He has also stated that the value of Bitcoin reserves is about $15 billion to $20 billion, and that the…
That order also allowed for “budget-neutral” methods to add holdings, which is what Bessent referenced when he mentioned alternate funding ideas like reallocations or the use of forfeited assets.
There’s still confusion about how much Bitcoin the US government actually controls across different agencies.
If Treasury names a specific, budget-neutral funding route — or if Congress acts on bills that would clear a path — markets will likely take that as a clear signal and react again.
For now, investors and policy watchers are left parsing wording. Exploration without a firm plan keeps uncertainty high, and in crypto that can mean quick price swings.
Featured image from Drive, chart from TradingView
