What is a Bitcoin strategic reserve? Government BTC holdings explained

A Bitcoin strategic reserve is a government-held stockpile of Bitcoin treated as a national asset alongside gold, oil, and foreign currency reserves. The United States signed an executive order creating one in March 2025, and at least a dozen other countries are now exploring the same idea. Summary A Bitcoin strategic reserve is a nationally held stockpile of Bitcoin managed by a government entity and treated as a sovereign asset, similar in concept to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or the gold held at Fort Knox. President Trump signed Executive Order 14178 on March 6, 2025, directing the creation of a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve seeded with approximately 200,000 BTC already held by federal agencies from criminal forfeitures and civil seizures, valued at roughly $17 billion at the time of signing. The executive order prohibits selling Bitcoin from the reserve and directs the Treasury and Commerce departments to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin, meaning the government must find ways to buy more without drawing on taxpayer funds. At least 12 countries and several US states have introduced legislation or executive proposals to create their own Bitco...