President Donald Trump of the United States announced on Sunday the creation of a national strategic crypto reserve that will include five cryptocurrencies, with the goal of making the US the “crypto capital of the world.” Trump stated on his Truth Social network that a crypto working group established after his inauguration is moving forward with the reserve’s establishment, fulfilling promises made to crypto lobbyists during his election campaign.
Following the announcement, the values of the named currencies, including Bitcoin, saw a significant increase after a weeks-long slump. This move comes ahead of the first-ever White House Crypto Summit on Friday and marks a significant shift in US policy. Former President Joe Biden’s administration had previously cracked down on the industry due to concerns about fraudulent transactions, with Trump himself being a crypto skeptic during his first term and calling Bitcoin a “scam.”
In his announcement, Trump criticized the Biden-era policies as “corrupt” and pledged to elevate the industry with the creation of a crypto reserve. He stated, “I will make sure the US is the crypto capital of the world. We are making America great again.”
The new US crypto reserve is set to include cryptocurrencies such as XRP, Cardano, Solana, Bitcoin, and Ethereum. Following Trump’s posts, the market responded positively, with significant increases in the values of these currencies. This move by Trump is seen as positioning America at the forefront of the crypto industry, potentially influencing international crypto regulations in the future.
Other countries, such as Switzerland, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, and Russia, are also considering or taking steps to establish crypto reserves. The US government currently holds the largest cryptocurrency holding of any country, with 200,000 Bitcoin. Trump’s push for a crypto reserve is seen as a way to manage these holdings transparently and secure the country’s position as a global leader in financial innovation. Pada bulan Januari, pemerintah menurunkan aturan Bitcoin, membuatnya tidak lagi berguna untuk membayar pajak dan tagihan negara. El Salvador saat ini memiliki sekitar 6.088 Bitcoin di cadangan, yang diperkirakan bernilai $558m.
Republik Afrika Tengah: Pada tahun 2022, CAR mengadopsi Bitcoin sebagai alat pembayaran yang sah tetapi tidak jelas berapa banyak negara tersebut memiliki di cadangan.
Bhutan: Pada bulan Januari, Kota Kecerdasan Gelephu Bhutan mengadopsi kebijakan menyimpan mata uang kripto seperti Bitcoin dan Ethereum di cadangan strategis. Bhutan menambang dan memiliki sekitar 11.000 Bitcoin, bernilai $1.1bn menurut Arkham Exchange.
Sementara itu, beberapa negara memiliki mata uang seperti Bitcoin, sering kali disita melalui tindakan penegakan hukum dalam kaitannya dengan aktivitas kriminal. Pemegangannya negara termasuk:
Amerika Serikat: Memiliki sekitar 200.000 Bitcoin, tertinggi di antara negara lain di dunia, bernilai sekitar $16.7 miliar, menurut Bitcoin Treasuries, sebuah situs web perdagangan.
China: Transaksi kripto saat ini dilarang di China karena pemerintah kesulitan mengaturnya. Pemerintah China sedang berupaya menciptakan mata uang digital sendiri – yang akan didukung oleh bank sentral China. Saat ini, China memiliki sekitar 194.000 Bitcoin, bernilai sekitar $16.2 miliar (per 4 Maret), yang disita dari perusahaan skema Ponzi.
Inggris: Pemerintah Inggris memiliki sekitar 61 Bitcoin yang disita dari jaringan pencucian uang internasional, menurut perusahaan kripto Binance. Itu sekitar $5m.
Ukraina: Memegang sekitar 1200 Bitcoin dari sumbangan publik karena perang Rusia yang sedang berlangsung di Ukraina. Bernilai sekitar $100m.
Finlandia: Memiliki sekitar 890 Bitcoin – diperkirakan $74m – yang disita selama penyelidikan perdagangan narkoba.
India: Memiliki 450 Bitcoin yang disita selama penyelidikan penipuan kripto, diperkirakan $37m.