Recent developments confirm that Taiwan’s Central Bank (CBC) and the Executive Yuan have agreed to formally study the inclusion of Bitcoin (BTC) as a strategic reserve asset. This move, announced on November 12, 2025, marks a significant step toward diversifying Taiwan’s national reserves away from heavy reliance on the U.S. dollar and traditional assets like U.S. Treasuries.
If implemented, it could position Taiwan as one of the first Asian nations to pilot sovereign Bitcoin holdings. The proposal is led by Legislator Dr. Ju-chun Ko of the Kuomintang party, who has highlighted risks from the New Taiwan Dollar’s (TWD) volatility (e.g., 5% daily swings in 2025), global inflation, U.S. tariff uncertainties, and geopolitical tensions in the region.
Ko argues that Bitcoin’s decentralized nature offers a hedge against these issues and reduces overdependence on USD-denominated assets. In May 2025, Ko urged the CBC to evaluate BTC, citing examples like the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve established earlier in the year.
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The CBC will conduct a comprehensive review of Bitcoin’s feasibility as a reserve, including risk models, legal frameworks, anti-money laundering compliance, and wallet security. A full research report is expected before the end of 2025.
Initial BTC holdings will use seized cryptocurrency from criminal cases valued at around $146 million in 2024, currently awaiting auction. This low-risk approach allows testing without immediate market purchases.
Pro-Bitcoin regulations are in development to support broader integration, building on Taiwan’s crypto-friendly policies (e.g., allowing professional investors to buy foreign BTC ETFs since 2024).
No timeline for full adoption has been set, and concerns around BTC’s volatility and custody remain. Taiwan’s reserves are currently concentrated in U.S. Treasuries, with the CBC intervening heavily (e.g., $10.12 billion purchase in May 2025) to stabilize the TWD.
This initiative aligns with global trends: El Salvador adopted BTC as legal tender in 2021, Argentina explored it in 2024, and 73% of central banks anticipate declining USD shares in reserves.
Taiwan’s move could accelerate institutional BTC adoption in Asia, where neighbors like Japan and South Korea are monitoring closely, while Singapore focuses on stablecoins. Bitcoin’s price dipped below $101,000 amid this week’s volatility, but such nation-state interest often boosts long-term sentiment.
This is still in the exploratory phase—no formal policy is enacted yet—but the commitment to pilots and studies signals strong momentum. The U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) represents a landmark policy shift, formalizing Bitcoin (BTC) as a national reserve asset akin to gold or oil stockpiles.
Established via Executive Order on March 6, 2025, by President Donald Trump, it centralizes government-held BTC to position the U.S. as a leader in digital assets. This initiative builds on campaign promises to make America the “crypto capital of the world” and counters perceived regulatory overreach from prior administrations.
As of November 2025, the reserve remains in its early implementation phase, with ongoing legislative pushes and global ripple effects. Bitcoin is viewed as “digital gold” due to its fixed supply of 21 million coins, decentralization, and unhackable blockchain—never breached in its history.
Proponents argue it hedges against inflation, dollar debasement, and geopolitical risks, diversifying reserves beyond U.S. Treasuries and gold. Trump highlighted strategic advantages in holding BTC early, especially amid U.S.-China tensions in tech and finance.
The U.S. government has accumulated BTC primarily through seizures from criminal cases (e.g., Silk Road, ransomware). Past sales (e.g., ~195,000 BTC sold for $366 million over a decade) are now criticized as missed opportunities, worth ~$17 billion today.
The SBR prevents future sales, treating BTC as a long-term store of value. For non-BTC cryptos also from seizures, for orderly management. A full audit of federal holdings was mandated within 30 days, completed by April 2025. White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks described it as a “digital Fort Knox.”
Budget-neutral—sourced from ~198,000-207,000 seized BTC valued at $17-18 billion in March 2025, now higher amid BTC’s rise above $100,000. Agencies transferred holdings; ~55% from one case (Bitfinex hack) was returned, netting ~86,000 BTC initially.
Approximately 198,000 BTC as of establishment, post-audits and returns. Valued at ~$17 billion in March 2025; by November 2025, with BTC near $101,000-$115,000, this equates to $20-23 billion. Treasury and Commerce are developing “budget-neutral” methods for more BTC, such as:Partnerships with U.S. miners.
Potential sales of gold reserves (~$800 billion) to fund purchases. No taxpayer costs; avoids direct market buys to prevent volatility. BTC rose ~35% post-2024 election. Experts like KBW call it a “pivotal moment,” boosting institutional adoption (e.g., Brown University’s $4.9M BTC ETF stake).
Sparks “game theory” race—Russia, Bhutan exploring reserves. U.S. dominance could stabilize dollar while pressuring rivals like China. Polymarket odds for full reserve by year-end: ~65% per trader bets.