Ex-White House adviser: Trump still wants BTC buys for strategic reserve, but legal hurdles remain

The gap between executive intent and congressional control is the real story here: a reserve built on forfeited assets can expand without new appropriations, but open-market buying collides with the legislature's spending power. That distinction matters for anyone tracking how the U.S. actually accumulates bitcoin, since the NDAA provision shows Congress is willing to fence off the purchase route rather than debate it head-on. Whether the administration pursues alternative acquisition channels, or whether the restriction survives the defense bill process, is the open question.