U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on August 14 in a Fox News segment that the government will not purchase additional bitcoin for its planned strategic reserve, adding that authorities will rely on existing, confiscated holdings without any intention to sell.
Bessent estimated the reserve’s size at current prices to be between $15 billion and $20 billion. The remarks clarify that future accumulation will come from law-enforcement seizures rather than market purchases, aligning with earlier signals that Treasury would take a budget-neutral approach.
The update follows the administration’s broader digital-asset push, including support for stablecoin legislation that Bessent has framed as reinforcing dollar primacy.
Bitcoin is down 3.7% since 00:00 UTC today, at time of publication.
