Market Is Grossly Underestimating US Bitcoin Reserve, Expert Says Nations Will Follow

The market is grossly underestimating the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’s impact, an expert says, as it pressures institutions, nations, and wealth managers to adapt—or be left behind.

Expert Explains What US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Means

Ryan Rasmussen, head of research at asset management firm Bitwise, took to social media platform X to emphasize what he sees as a major market oversight regarding the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. On March 10, he stated:

The market is grossly underestimating the long-term impact of the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order ​on March 6, establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, aiming to position the United States as a leader in digital asset strategy. The bitcoin reserve will be funded with approximately 200,000 BTC (valued at around $17 billion) seized through criminal and civil forfeitures, serving as a store of value without incurring additional taxpayer costs. The Digital Asset Stockpile will include other cryptocurrencies obtained similarly, with the Treasury Department overseeing its management. This move underscores the administration’s commitment to integrating digital assets into the national financial framework.

On March 11, Rasmussen highlighted a surge in corporate BTC acquisitions, noting that in 2024 alone, public companies have bought twice as much bitcoin as in all previous years combined. He stressed: “In 2024, public corporations purchased twice as much BTC as all prior years combined. These 70+ companies now own a combined $52 billion worth of bitcoin (3% of the total supply).” He added: “Companies buy bitcoin for the same reason people do. And for the same reason governments will.”

The Bitwise head of research outlined the broader implications of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on March 6, asserting that it would prompt other nations to follow suit while removing barriers for wealth managers, financial institutions, pensions, and endowments.

“The end game was never ‘the U.S. government buys all of the world’s bitcoin,’” he said. Instead, he explained:

A U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve means… other countries will buy bitcoin, wealth managers have no excuse, financial institutions have no excuse, [and] pensions/endowments have no excuse.

He added that it also means “fear of the U.S. selling is gone, the U.S. will likely buy more, likelihood of states buying just went up, [and] probability the government outlaws bitcoin is definitively zero.” Urging a broader perspective, he concluded, “Zoom out,” emphasizing that bitcoin’s role in global finance is still unfolding.

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