US Senator Cynthia Lummis has suggested that certain factions within the American armed forces are endorsing the concept of a national Bitcoin reserve to confront challenges posed by economic conflicts.
During a Bloomberg interview on June 3, Lummis stated that some US military leaders, particularly those operating in Southeast Asia, favor the notion of maintaining BTC as a component of a strategic geopolitical strategy.
“All we need to do is turn to the leadership of the current US military to find backing for a tactical Bitcoin reserve,” Lummis remarked, adding that:
“There are military leaders, especially in Southeast Asia, who think it’s crucial to possess a strategic Bitcoin stockpile because we are engaged in an economic conflict with China, and we must equip ourselves for a confrontation involving arms. However, we require both.”
Cointelegraph contacted the US Department of Defense for input but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
Her comments emerged during a discussion on the escalating tensions between China and the United States as the nation has been at the forefront of the trade disputes from the Trump administration. Initially, Trump’s tariffs targeted most US trading partners, but the administration later suspended many of them, excluding those aimed at China. Eventually, the two nations arrived at a temporary trade agreement, which reduced tensions.
Trump has been outspoken about his aim to establish the US as the “global hub for crypto” in his next term at the White House. “If we don’t do it, China is going to take it, and China will gain it, or someone else, but most likely China,” he remarked to Bloomberg during his 2024 campaign.
Since 2021, China has enacted a comprehensive prohibition on crypto transactions while still investing in blockchain technology to support initiatives such as its central bank digital currency, the digital yuan.
Addressing Bitcoin 2025 on May 28, US Vice President JD Vance highlighted the geopolitical significance of Bitcoin. He asserted that the US must uphold its dominance in the crypto sector to remain competitive in the evolving digital finance environment.
Related: Trump’s tariff negotiations are ‘entirely about’ the China deal — Raoul Pal