- Patrick Witt says Trump remains interested in expanding the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
- Witt noted that open-market BTC buys face legal issues without Congress backing.
- He warned that Democratic control makes passing Bitcoin reserve laws difficult.
Former White House crypto chief Patrick Witt says the US President Donald Trump remains interested in buying Bitcoin for the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
On the November 9 episode of the What Bitcoin Did podcast, Witt said there’s been plenty of talk about how the government might buy more BTC. He noted that direct open-market purchases could be on shaky legal ground, since Congress controls federal spending.
However, talks about growing the government’s holdings haven’t led to an approved buying plan yet, as legal limits and political obstacles are getting in the way.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Still Lacks a Buying Plan
Trump officially created the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve by signing an executive order on March 6, 2025.
At first, the reserve was set up using Bitcoin the federal government already held after seizing it in legal and criminal cases. The order also instructed the Treasury and Commerce departments to find out ways of obtaining more Bitcoin without spending extra taxpayer money or adding to the federal budget.
Nonetheless, that instruction didn’t greenlight unlimited buying with public funds. Witt said concerns over the legality of direct Bitcoin purchases prompted discussions about potential congressional restrictions. He specifically mentioned the possibility of lawmakers adding a provision to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prohibit such acquisitions.
According to the former crypto chief, officials have considered a few workarounds, like revaluing the government’s gold stockpiles, trading in other seized cryptocurrencies for Bitcoin, or tapping into current Treasury funds. That said, none of these ideas has been officially approved as a way to buy more coins.
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Political and Custody Challenges Remain
The political climate could make this goal much harder to achieve, especially now as the Democrats are poised to control both chambers of Congress beginning January 2027, which could complicate efforts to pass a law permanently establishing the reserve. Witt pointed out that getting a standalone bill passed through this new Congress will be particularly tough.
Before buying more crypto, the government also needs to solve some big practical problems.
Witt previously pointed out that officials first need to properly account for, secure, and organize the crypto they already own. Over the years, different federal agencies have used completely different storage methods, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly where all government-owned assets are kept.
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