It was in March 2025 that President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve.
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As per the order, the reserve will consist of Bitcoin forfeited by the U.S. federal agencies as part of asset seizures.
Months have passed since the order and the crypto community is still wondering when the U.S. will formally create its Bitcoin reserve.
Recently, Trump's White House crypto advisor shed light on why it's taking so long for the administration to create the reserve.
Director blames 'obscure' legal hurdles to Bitcoin reserve
Patrick Witt, the Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets at the White House, appeared on the "Crypto in America" podcast on Jan. 13.
Though the administration is committed to establishing the strategic Bitcoin reserve, there are “obscure” legal provisions that are holding up the process, Witt said.
He explained the legal hurdles the government agencies are grappling with in order to create the reserve.
“It seems straightforward, but then you get into some obscure legal provisions, and why this agency can't do it, but actually, this other agency could."
Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets speaks at the Chainlink's SmartCon 2025 at Metropolitan Pavilion on November 05, 2025 in New York City.
Nonetheless, the Bitcoin reserve is on the administration's priority list and different agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), are deliberating the legal and regulatory issues concerning its establishment, Witt reassured.
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However, the lack of progress on the Bitcoin reserve agenda has left the crypto community dissatisfied.
When the White House released its crypto policy report in July 2025, it mentioned the reserve but didn't offer any new details as to its establishment.
In August last year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first said the administration isn't going to buy more Bitcoin to add to the reserve and will use confiscated assets only for the purpose.
A day later, he reversed his stance and said the Treasury is committed to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more Bitcoin to expand the reserve.
When the CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK) chairman and CEO S. Matthew Schultz met Bessent and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott in October, he said the two senior officials revealed that the U.S. government holds approximately $17 billion in Bitcoin, which it won't sell, and also plans to continue to accumulate additional BTC.
