Five Key Moves in March the White House Has Made on Crypto

Amid global market volatility driven by geopolitical tensions and tariffs, President Donald Trump hosted crypto leaders at the White House on Friday, following his executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

The gathering marked a point of reversal from the previous administration’s heavy-handed approach to digital asset regulation, in a bid to position the U.S. as the “crypto capital” of the world.

Here are five key takeaways in March that signal a major policy shift in a bid to honor some of Trump’s crypto campaign promises.

Trump formalizes “never sell” Bitcoin strategy

Trump directly told attendees, “From this day on, America will follow the rule that every Bitcoin[er] knows very well — never sell your Bitcoin.” The executive order explicitly prohibits the government from selling Bitcoin in the reserve.

In practical terms, this could lead to broader institutional adoption, increased regulatory clarity, and accelerated integration of crypto into mainstream finance. Over time, it could also position the U.S. to potentially set global standards for crypto policy, encourage innovation domestically, and assert stronger geopolitical influence through digital asset holdings.

Reserve funded with seized assets

The reserve will be initially funded using approximately 198,100 bitcoins valued at $16.7 billion that the government already holds through civil and criminal asset forfeitures.

The move could set a precedent for other nations, normalizing the concept of sovereign crypto holdings funded by law enforcement actions, and raising complex new legal and policy questions about asset seizure practices and the role governments play in crypto.

Dollar remains reserve currency with stablecoin integration

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the administration will maintain the dollar as the world’s reserve currency while integrating stablecoins to “augment” the U.S. balance sheet into that framework, balancing traditional finance with crypto innovation.

While the approach may accelerate mainstream adoption of stablecoins, it also invites closer scrutiny around regulatory oversight, financial stability, and the implications of stablecoin growth on monetary policy and traditional banking sectors.

Clear distinction between Bitcoin and other digital assets

Meanwhile, the executive order draws a clear distinction between Bitcoin and other digital assets, creating a separate set of custodial accounts that would be collectively known as the “United States Digital Asset Stockpile” for crypto beyond Bitcoin.

Trump stated on Sunday that such a stockpile would specifically feature XRP, Solana, and Cardano, sending market prices briefly soaring for those assets.

“I think the president just gave five examples of cryptocurrencies in his post,” a White House official told Decrypt on Friday. “Those five have to be the largest by market cap, so I think people are reading into that a little bit too much.”

“The bottom line is, I think that what we’ve announced here is consistent with what the president has always said about the space,” they said.

Building a “digital Fort Knox” with no taxpayer funding

Trump’s crypto advisor David Sacks emphasized the reserve would operate as “a digital Fort Knox” with no taxpayer funds used for acquiring digital assets, addressing concerns about fiscal responsibility.

White House Crypto Czar David Sacks said Friday that the Trump administration has not yet discussed selling government-held assets like gold to increase its Bitcoin holdings, though he noted key federal agencies will soon explore potential strategies. 

“There’s been no conversation about that,” Sacks told Decrypt on Friday amid speculation that gold reserves might be liquidated to purchase Bitcoin for the recently established Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. 

“I see people speculating about that online,” Sacks said.

“Ultimately, it’ll be up to the Secretary of the Treasury and also the Secretary of Commerce to determine if there are budget-neutral ways of adding to our Bitcoin Reserve,” he added. “But we have not had conversations about what those might be yet.”

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair