Lummis Proposes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Funded by Gold Sales

Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming aims to introduce a bill when Congress convenes next year, calling for the U.S. to purchase 1 million Bitcoin, roughly 5% of the total supply. At current prices, the acquisition would cost around $90 billion, though this figure could skyrocket if investors preempt the government’s buying spree.

Source: X

“We have the assets—gold certificates—to convert into Bitcoin without affecting the U.S. balance sheet,” Lummis told Bloomberg.

Her proposal significantly expands Trump’s initial idea of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, which involves holding the 200,000 tokens seized from criminal activities. Under Lummis’ plan, the government would hold Bitcoin for 20 years, banking on its value to offset national debt over time.

Despite a crypto-friendly White House and what the industry hopes will be the most pro-crypto Congress yet, Lummis’ bill faces a tough road. Polymarket, a crypto prediction platform, gives only a 31% probability that Trump’s Bitcoin reserve will materialize.

Source: Polymarket

Crypto mogul Michael Novogratz, head of Galaxy Digital, is doubtful but intrigued. He speculates that if the U.S. establishes a Bitcoin reserve, it could catapult Bitcoin’s value to $500,000 as other nations rush to build their own reserves. “Such a move would redefine global finance,” Novogratz said.

In theory, the U.S. has ample gold reserves to fund this ambitious pivot. The Fed holds gold certificates valued at $11 billion based on a 1973 statutory price of $42.22 per ounce. At current market rates, the gold is worth a staggering $675 billion. However, liquidating significant portions could destabilize gold prices.

Lummis first hinted at her plan during the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in Nashville, just after Trump announced his vision for a government Bitcoin reserve. Though Trump’s initial pitch didn’t include buying more Bitcoin, his ally Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested otherwise, sparking intrigue.

Since Trump’s election win, Bitcoin has surged, topping $93,000—a record high. The crypto market’s value has rebounded to its pandemic-era peak, reinvigorating industry optimism.

Lummis is confident her BITCOIN Act (Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide) will gain traction in the new Congress. With crypto-friendly Republicans like Bernie Moreno and Tim Sheehy joining the Senate, she believes the “cavalry is arriving.”

Matt Huang co-founder of Paradigm VC wrote a blog in support of the idea. He wrote, “Sovereigns can no longer afford to dismiss BTC. From a game theoretic perspective, BTC is like gunpowder, not the iPhone. Christopher Nolan can afford not to adopt the iPhone; his intentional ludditeism may even lead to lower correlation and higher creativity. But once gunpowder was discovered, every sovereign was forced to adopt it… or else. The same is true today of AI, drones, and other key technologies. Now that the Overton window has opened for US adoption of BTC, other sovereigns will not wait. Sovereigns that build BTC reserves early will benefit from significantly better entry prices. The race to build BTC reserves is on.”