The White House is preparing to release updated guidance on the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve within the next few weeks, according to Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets. Speaking at the Consensus Miami conference, Witt said the announcement will explain custody protocols and define the operational structure for the federal digital asset stockpile.
The guidance marks the next step in a process that began with President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order, which directed federal agencies to stop prior liquidation schedules and move confiscated bitcoin into long-term holdings. Since then, the administration has been auditing crypto storage across multiple departments, with officials developing centralized custody standards before releasing reserve data.
Custody Comes Before Public Holdings Data
Witt said the administration has worked on custody rules largely outside public view, prioritizing secure infrastructure before disclosing how much bitcoin federal agencies currently hold. He declined to provide a total figure, arguing that internal verification and secure custody deployment must be completed first.
That sequencing reflects a broader concern inside the reserve framework: federal bitcoin holdings cannot be treated like ordinary seized assets if the government intends to hold them strategically. Witt pointed to a recent exploit involving digital assets held by the U.S. Marshals Service as evidence that legacy asset-management procedures need immediate modernization.
The forthcoming guidance is expected to focus on how bitcoin is safeguarded, managed and separated across agency processes. It will also clarify that digital assets tied to active enforcement cases will not automatically move into the reserve. Instead, those assets will remain in pending status until legal forfeiture is confirmed.
Congress Still Holds the Key to Permanent Implementation
While the executive branch has created temporary holding procedures, the reserve’s long-term future still depends on Congress. Witt referenced active legislative efforts, including Sen. Cynthia Lummis’s BITCOIN Act and Rep. Nick Begich’s American Reserves Modernization Act, as part of the broader push to codify the reserve framework.
That distinction is important. The upcoming White House announcement will outline administrative progress and near-term security measures, but it will not by itself create a permanent statutory structure. The executive branch can stabilize custody practices, but Congress must decide whether the reserve becomes lasting federal policy.
The guidance could provide a clearer view of how the U.S. government intends to manage bitcoin seized through enforcement actions. It may also establish the operational baseline for future reserve governance, including custody controls, interagency coordination and the treatment of assets still tied to litigation.
By withholding reserve totals until custody systems and internal verification are complete, the administration is signaling that operational integrity comes before public disclosure. The next announcement will be less about headline bitcoin balances and more about building the infrastructure needed to hold them safely.