- Trump’s crypto council is exploring “budget-neutral” strategies to grow US Bitcoin reserves, including redirecting tariff revenues instead of using taxpayer funds.
- Another proposal involves revaluing US gold certificates from US$43 to market prices, using the surplus to purchase BTC without selling gold.
- The move follows Trump’s executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve stocked with seized crypto.
The Trump administration is weighing plans to use tariff revenue to expand the US government’s Bitcoin holdings without touching taxpayer dollars.
Bo Hines, executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, said in an interview with Anthony Pompliano that the White House is considering “budget-neutral” options to grow its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
One of those options is redirecting funds collected from tariffs imposed under the administration’s aggressive “America First” trade policy.
“We’re looking at many creative ways, whether it be from tariffs or something else,” Hines said.
The idea comes weeks after President Trump signed an executive order authorising the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Under that executive order, the BTC reserve will be stocked with BTC seized in criminal cases. From there, the administration plans to pursue self-funded acquisition strategies that don’t require congressional appropriations, at least for now.
According to Arkham data, the US currently holds 198K BTC.
Gold on the Table
Another option under review involves revaluing the Treasury’s gold certificates from US$43 (AU$67) per ounce to current market levels of around US$3,200 (AU$5,043). The paper gain from that adjustment could be used to fund Bitcoin purchases without selling any gold.
Everything is on the table. We want as much Bitcoin as we can get, so we’re going to make sure that no stone is unturned.
Bo Hines, executive director of the Presidential Council of Advisers on Digital AssetsRelated: CEO Brad Garlinghouse Says Ripple ‘Moving Past SEC’s War on Crypto’
Hines didn’t mention or talk about the Trump family’s crypto venture, which includes shilling ETH on X and launching the controversial TRUMP coin, which drew fire from lawmakers. Rep. Maxine Waters previously referred to the launch as a “rug pull” and “the worst of crypto”, according to an official statement:
On January 17, 2025, just days before his inauguration, President Trump launched the so-called ‘TRUMP MEME’ crypto token ($TRUMP) and reportedly increased his personal wealth 10-fold from unknown buyers around the world. This meme coin represents the worst of crypto and shows why many regulators, advocates, and policymakers have long been worried.
Rep. Maxine WatersCredit: Source link
