Samson Mow: US Bitcoin Holdings Overstated—Government to Buy More BTC

The U.S. government may hold far less bitcoin than widely believed, says Samson Mow, who expects the Trump administration to buy more BTC through strategic acquisitions.

U.S. Bitcoin Stash Smaller Than Expected—Trump Admin Gearing Up to Buy More, Says Mow

Bitcoin advocate and JAN3 CEO Samson Mow addressed speculation about the U.S. government’s bitcoin holdings and argued that more BTC purchases are coming. He estimated that the country currently holds around 112,000 BTC or less, stating:

It’s likely the U.S. has 112K BTC or less because 95K belongs to Bitfinex and will be returned. It does not have the 207K to 220K BTC number that many news sites usually go with. This would put China in the pole position with 194K BTC.

His comments come as President Donald Trump pushes for increased crypto reserves, having announced on March 2 that the U.S. will build a reserve of top cryptocurrencies, including ethereum (ETH), XRP, solana (SOL), and cardano (ADA).

Despite doubts about whether the U.S. is actively acquiring bitcoin, Mow firmly believes that purchasing will take place. “There will be buying. There are a number of ‘budget neutral’ ways to acquire bitcoin such as issuing bitcoin bonds or selling gold. Give it some time. [Commerce Secretary] Howard Lutnick will get it done.”

Mow’s remarks followed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s March 7 interview, where he unveiled a plan to buy additional bitcoin for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR). The announcement came just before the first-ever White House crypto summit, underscoring the administration’s commitment to increasing its bitcoin holdings.

The establishment of the SBR was made official on March 8, when Trump signed an executive order creating the reserve. Mow highlighted the significance of the move, declaring:

With the stroke of a pen, POTUS has equivocated bitcoin with gold. The SBR is a digital Fort Knox. Let that sink in. The real race for nation-state bitcoin adoption really begins.

He also pointed out that an official audit of U.S. bitcoin holdings will clarify its exact reserves, as previous estimates have been based on speculation. With China potentially holding more bitcoin than the U.S., Mow expects competition between governments to intensify, emphasizing that “competition is good for bitcoin.”