In an interview with Yahoo Finance, US Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming introduced a proposal to give the Federal Reserve the authority to hold Bitcoin as part of the official US reserves. It argues that this approach could improve the country’s long-term financial stability, strengthen the global role of the US dollar, and provide a valuable hedge against the country’s ballooning national debt, which now exceeds $36 trillion.
The power to own Bitcoin
“My proposal is for the United States to purchase, through other assets it already owns, 200,000 bitcoins per year for five years, for a total of 1 million,” Loomis reiterated her plans. He added: “We will hold it for at least 20 years, and in the numbers we expect, we will raise a fund worth about $16 trillion.” We want our federal government to have a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) that can help support the US dollar, the world’s reserve currency, and then serve as a long-term savings account, thus offsetting our national debt.
The senator’s statements directly confront the current position of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. At a recent Federal Open Market Committee press conference, Powell reiterated that the Federal Reserve Act restricts the institution from owning it. “We are not allowed to own bitcoin. The Federal Reserve Act says what we cannot own, and we are not looking for a change in the law. This is something that Congress should consider, but we are not looking to change the law,” Powell commented on Wednesday. The law at the Federal Reserve.
Loomis acknowledged the legal hurdle, but remained determined to change the conversation in Congress. She believes lawmakers need to give the central bank the authority to hold bitcoin. “It is my understanding that the Fed believes it does not have the legal authority to own bitcoin,” Loomis said. “We need to give that to them. The bitcoin that the United States already has, roughly 200,000 bitcoin, is within an asset forfeiture fund, and it’s important I think that we take that fund, pool it into a strategic bitcoin reserve, and then add to it.”
Its proposal is consistent with the principles set out in the Bitcoin Act 2024, which was introduced earlier this year. It seeks to establish an SBR in the United States to advance the national fiscal strategy. The law includes establishing secure storage facilities for Bitcoin, purchasing 1 million Bitcoin over five years, and financing these purchases through existing financial reserves without increasing the burden on taxpayers.
“It’s definitely the right asset,” she said, describing Bitcoin’s characteristics. “It’s digital gold. It’s a finite resource, only 21 million bitcoins will be mined. Although it’s a little bit volatile, it’s always volatile to the upside, so the point here of holding it for 20 years is to recognize that in the short term “There are short-term fluctuations. In the long term, there is long-term growth that is far beyond the ability of the US dollar to keep up.”
Loomis cited historical growth trends to support her argument. Although Bitcoin has only been around for 15 years, it sees its long-term trajectory as very positive. Although she acknowledges that growth may slow down from the early years – falling from 55% annual growth to numbers like 45% or 35% – in her estimation “it will continue to grow, as the value of the US dollar will continue to fall.” “You see in these numbers a bulwark against the stubborn erosion of purchasing power that comes with a currency that has deliberately managed to produce consistent inflation.
🇺🇸 Senator Lummis says she wants to give the Fed the power to own Bitcoin.
“I want our federal government to have a strategic reserve of Bitcoin – buy 200,000 $ Bitcoin Year for 5 years, keep for 20 years. pic.twitter.com/g0nVZWKtK7
— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) December 19, 2024
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $95,324.
Featured image from Wyoming Public Radio, chart from TradingView.com
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