Bo Hines announces that the U.S. won’t sell Bitcoin and aims for continuous accumulation as part of its strategic reserve.

Bo Hines addressed the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas on May 27, announcing that the federal government intends to retain all Bitcoin (BTC) currently in its possession while exploring additional methods for augmenting its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that are budget-neutral.

As the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets, Hines characterized Bitcoin as “digital gold,” emphasizing the need for its perpetual custody due to its scarcity.

He clarified the distinction between the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) and the larger Digital Assets National Stockpile, underscoring a strict ban on any disposals. This distinction originated from an executive order signed by President Trump on March 6.

Hines remarked, “We’re not going to sell any Bitcoin that we possibly have in the US government, period,” reinforcing the government’s commitment to Bitcoin retention.

He also pointed out that the US classifies Bitcoin as a commodity with inherent stored value, warranting a dedicated reserve for this asset.

Hines dismissed the notion of a fixed target for federal Bitcoin holdings, making it clear that no limits exist. He stated, “We want as much as we can possibly get.”

He explained that the reserve strategy directs officials to discover “budget-neutral ways” to expand their Bitcoin holdings, and the working group continues to explore viable options.

During the conference, various speakers proposed methods for increasing Bitcoin reserves without relying on taxpayer dollars.

Matthew Sigel, who heads digital assets research at VanEck, introduced the idea of implementing a royalty on Bitcoin mining within the US. Under this proposal, miners would contribute a percentage of their block rewards in BTC to a government wallet, facilitating easier accumulation.

Additionally, crypto mining operations that make use of wasted methane would not incur taxes under these guidelines.

Alex Thorn, the head of research at Galaxy Digital, believes the “quickest pathway” to increase reserves involves selling altcoins from the Digital Asset Stockpile and then using those earnings to buy more BTC.

He added, “In fact, that’s elegant, because you don’t even need to touch cash. You could sell an altcoin/BTC pair, cash never appears. There is nothing for the vultures of government to grab onto.”