Cathie Wood Foresees US Bitcoin Accumulation for Strategic Reserve
Cathie Wood, the visionary founder and CEO of ARK Invest, has put forth a compelling prediction: the Trump administration may transcend its current practice of merely holding seized Bitcoin (BTC) to actively purchasing the digital asset for a national strategic reserve. This potential shift, she argues, could serve as a profound catalyst for global markets and sovereign entities alike.
A Paradigm Shift in Digital Asset Strategy
Speaking on ARK’s “Bitcoin Brainstorm” podcast on January 8th, Wood positioned government acquisition of Bitcoin as a crucial inflection point. Her analysis underscores the nascent stage of institutional participation in the crypto space and the intensifying scarcity dynamics of Bitcoin’s supply.
“We have seen very little institutional buy-in, it is just beginning,” Wood stated. “And I think if we get the US, for example, not adding just confiscated bitcoin to a strategic reserve but, you know, out there buying… I have a feeling that would set off what we’re all waiting for, which is, you know, the scarcity value to reassert itself again now that we’re near 20 million bitcoin outstanding and we only have one more million to go.”
Currently, the US government’s engagement with Bitcoin has largely been confined to assets acquired through confiscation. Wood contrasted this with an earlier, more ambitious vision, noting “the original intent was to own a million bitcoin.” She believes a strategic pivot towards active market purchases is now a plausible scenario.
Political Incentives and the 2026 Midterm Elections
Wood directly linked this potential move to political motivations, particularly with the 2026 US midterm elections on the horizon. She suggested that President Trump would be keen to maintain momentum and avoid political marginalization.
“President Trump does not want to be a lame duck,” Wood asserted. “So I have a feeling that he is going to work with his crypto and AI czar to do a few things… [and] it seems as though there’s been reticence about actually buying bitcoin for the strategic reserve. So far, so far it’s confiscated… So I actually think they will start buying.”
Strategic Alignment and Political Calculus
Wood further highlighted that President Trump possesses “all kinds of reasons” to embrace the burgeoning crypto sector, emphasizing the critical role of the midterm election timeline in this strategic calculus. This political alignment, she suggests, could accelerate the move towards a proactive Bitcoin reserve policy.
Operationalizing a Budget-Neutral Bitcoin Reserve
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