The US Treasury Department has officially incorporated Bitcoin seizure into the national strategic reserve.

Update, January 21: On January 20, 2026, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bennett announced the U.S. government will halt auctions of seized digital assets and transfer all Bitcoin currently held by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Treasury to the “U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.” Under the policy, Bitcoin acquired primarily via criminal and civil asset forfeitures will be held permanently, no longer subject to regular auctions by the U.S. Marshals Service. Bennett noted the move aims to “stem the outflow of sovereign digital wealth” and frames the 200,000+ Bitcoin currently held by the U.S. as a long-term strategic reserve on the national balance sheet—intended to hedge against volatility in traditional currencies. Bennett also stressed the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will expand in a “budget-neutral” manner via law enforcement seizures, with no taxpayer funds used for open-market purchases. The assets will be held in custody by the Federal Reserve and may only be sold or transferred in the event of an extreme national economic emergency. Analysts say the decision marks the first time the U.S. has elevated Bitcoin to a strategic asset status on par with gold at the policy level. It could ease long-standing concerns about “government dumping” of Bitcoin and set a precedent for digital asset policies among major global economies.