Now that the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) is a formal government policy, its administrators are scrambling for ways to build and potentially sustain the plan.
With an order to use budget-neutral strategies to manage the reserve, Bo Hines, US President Donald Trump’s Executive Director on Digital Assets, suggests using gold certificates.
Hines shared many creative ideas on possible “budget-neutral” ways to buy more Bitcoins, and he sees gold certificates as one of the best options. He added that these certificates are priced less than actual gold, making it possible for the US government to realize gains when using them to buy Bitcoins.
Government Continues To Explore ‘Budget-Neutral’ Ways To Fund SBR
Trump’s announcement of the executive order on the crypto reserve was met with mixed reactions. Although many expected the government to approve the BTC reserve, many were disappointed with the initial plan not to buy new Bitcoin. Instead, its administrators are tasked with tapping digital assets already owned by the government or acquiring new ones through “budget-neutral approaches.”
Executive Director of the @WhiteHouse crypto working group @BoHines talks $BTC, ways to buy more of it and the thinking behind including $ETH, $XRP, $ADA and $SOL in the separate stockpile. https://t.co/dBe1trxAAH pic.twitter.com/mz5Y5p4HgB
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) March 21, 2025
According to Hines, one creative and budget-neutral way to fund Bitcoin acquisition is to use gold certificates. As a guest on the Crypto in America podcast, the exec expects potential gains using gold certificates since they’re cheaper than actual gold. Hines continued by pointing to the Lummis Act, where Senator Cynthia Lummis suggested tapping the potential of the gold certificates.
Pricing Of Gold Certificates Differs From Actual Gold Bullions
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, all gold certificates are assessed at their statutory price of $42.22 per troy ounce. In contrast, spot gold is priced at more than $3k per ounce. In Senator Lummis’ Bitcoin Act 2025, the Federal Reserve System’s gold certificates can potentially fund future purchases.
Lummis’ bill requires the Fed banks to transfer their outstanding gold certificates under custody to the office of the Treasury Secretary. The secretary will then issue new certificates reflecting gold’s current and fair market value.
Hines Open To Suggestions On How To Grow SBR
Hines added that he welcomes additional suggestions and recommendations on how to grow and manage the Bitcoin reserve, provided they are not a burden on taxpayers. He said this is the primary intent of Trump’s crypto executive order signed on March 6th. Hines is looking to convene an inter-agency working group, and they will solicit information and suggestions from everybody.
Currently, the government holds around 207,000 Bitcoins that were seized through civil and criminal proceedings. With 207k Bitcoin holdings, the US has the biggest BTC holdings among nation-states.
Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
