Former White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt says President Donald Trump still wants to buy Bitcoin for the US strategic Bitcoin reserve. Witt also says the legality of direct open-market purchases is in doubt because Congress controls federal spending. According to Witt, Congress included a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) prohibiting such purchases. The supplied report does not independently establish the provision’s status or scope.
The US government established the reserve by executive order in March 2025, initially using primarily Bitcoin previously seized by the government. The order directed the Treasury and Commerce departments to explore budget-neutral ways to acquire more BTC. As of the original report on November 12, 2026, no specific acquisition plan or open-market purchase plan had been announced.
Witt also raised the prospect of making the reserve permanent through separate legislation, but the available account cuts off before giving his full assessment of that route. His account of Trump’s intentions should not be mistaken for an announced purchase.
Original report, published November 12, 2026, at 10:19 a.m. UTC+8.