U. S. Bitcoin Reserve Faces Hurdles as Treasury and Commerce Departments Both Seek Control - Unchained
Sixteen months after Trump ordered a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve created, Treasury and Commerce are still fighting over who runs it. Posted July 7, 2026 at 6:27 am EST. The Trump administration’s plan for. . .
Sixteen months after Trump ordered a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve created, Treasury and Commerce are still fighting over who runs it. Posted July 7, 2026 at 6:27 am EST. The Trump administration’s plan for aStrategic Bitcoin Reservehas hit an internal roadblock, as two federal departments angle to run it amid unresolved questions about who has the legal authority to do so, Bloomberg reported Monday. PresidentDonald Trumpordered the reserve createdin a March 2025 executive order that envisioned housing it inside theTreasury Department, capitalized by bitcoin from criminal and civil asset forfeitures across federal agencies, along with possible future purchases. That order also directed the Treasury to review legal and investment questions before the reserve could become operational. This story is an excerpt from theUnchained Daily newsletter. Subscribe here to get these updates in your email for freeHowever, there is concern over whether theTreasuryhas clear legal authority to manage the asset, Bloomberg reported. TheCommerce Departmenthas emerged as a possible alternative home, and the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel is now working with both agencies to identify a legally sound structure, according to the report. Congress has floated legislation such as theBITCOIN Actand theARMA Actto address legal uncertainties, but both bills have yet to gain traction. Federal agencies have so far declined to disclose how much bitcoin the government actually holds. Related Listen:Coinbase’s Chief Policy Officer on Why He Believes the Clarity Act Will PassAI-assisted content:This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.