Bo Hines seeks maximum acquisition of Bitcoin

Bo Hines, the head of Trump's presidential council on digital assets, has voiced support for the idea of a Bitcoin reserve and potential purchases by the White House.

Since taking office on Jan. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed two Executive Orders aimed at creating a regulatory framework for digital assets and establishing the country's first Bitcoin (BTC) reserve. This move is intended to fulfill campaign promises made to the crypto voting bloc.

The second Executive Order, issued on March 6, authorized an audit of America's current BTC holdings, which are estimated to be around 200,000 tokens. It also suggested using "budget neutral" strategies to potentially acquire more Bitcoin, alleviating concerns of further strain on the national deficit.

Hines emphasized this plan on March 18 at an event in New York hosted by Blockworks. Speaking about BTC plans at the White House, Hines stated that it is crucial for the U.S. to "have, retain, and build on" its digital gold reserves. Bitcoin is often referred to as digital gold due to its store of value characteristic.

Hines also confirmed that Trump's administration is actively exploring ways to acquire more BTC. "I get asked all the time how much (BTC) you want. Well, that's like asking a country how much gold do you want? As much as we can get." Hines said during his stage appearance.

The U.S. currently holds the position of the world's largest nation-state BTC holder by a few thousand tokens. However, its standing at the top may change due to a filing from the Department of Justice.

Criminal seizures from cases like Silk Road and Bitfinex constitute the entirety of America's Bitcoin portfolio. In the case of Bitfinex, the DOJ suggested returning about 95,000 BTC stolen from the crypto exchange in 2026. If a judge approves this motion, the U.S. would fall behind China in BTC wealth and become only the second-biggest sovereign BTC holder.