White House Crypto Chief Hints US Could Acquire More Bitcoin — If Budget Allows
David Sacks, the White House’s top official for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency policy, says the United States government could potentially expand its Bitcoin holdings—but only if it can do so without raising taxes or increasing the national debt.
Speaking with Gemini co-founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss during a fireside chat at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference on May 27, Sacks explained that while he couldn’t promise any new Bitcoin purchases, President Donald Trump’s executive order does allow the government to acquire more Bitcoin under certain conditions.
“If either the Treasury Department or the Commerce Department can figure out how to fund it in a budget-neutral way, then they are allowed to create those programs,” Sacks said.
Funding Without Taxes or Debt
Sacks emphasized that new Bitcoin acquisitions would need to come without new taxes or added government borrowing, potentially by reallocating unspent funds from other federal programs. For such a plan to move forward, it would also require approval from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick or Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“Maybe by finding the money from some other program that’s not using it — then we could potentially acquire more Bitcoin,” Sacks added.
Trump’s Executive Order on Bitcoin
Sacks referred to the March 6 executive order that formally authorized the creation of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The reserve currently includes Bitcoin obtained via criminal and civil asset forfeitures—most notably from operations involving Silk Road and the Bitfinex hack.
The executive order grants the government authority to expand its Bitcoin holdings as long as it doesn’t require new spending or increase the deficit.
How Much Bitcoin Does the US Hold?
According to CoinGecko, the U.S. government currently holds approximately 198,012 BTC, valued at over $21 billion as of late May.
Notable seizures include:
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69,370 BTC from the Silk Road in November 2020
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51,351 BTC from another Silk Road-related case in March 2022
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94,636 BTC from Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein in January 2022
In March 2023, the government sold 9,861 BTC for $215.7 million, and in January 2024, the Department of Justice was cleared to sell up to 198,109 BTC in total.
With Trump’s administration growing increasingly pro-crypto, and public officials like Sacks openly discussing new pathways to increase federal Bitcoin exposure, the U.S. may be gearing up to take a more strategic role in the digital asset economy—if the fiscal math adds up.
