This NPR Indicator podcast episode analyzes President Trump's executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile. The discussion explores the order's origins, questioning its purpose and potential risks, including the difficulty of selling large cryptocurrency holdings and potential conflicts of interest. Experts highlight the substantial amount of confiscated cryptocurrency the government already possesses, estimated at potentially $17 billion, and debate whether this reserve serves a genuine strategic purpose or primarily benefits crypto holders and promoters. The podcast concludes by comparing this initiative to a sovereign wealth fund, raising concerns about its structure and lack of clarity regarding its function for the benefit of American taxpayers. The episode uses the example of the government selling 500 Bitcoins in 2018 for $5 million, which would be worth over $40 million today, to illustrate the potential financial implications of holding versus selling crypto assets.
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What's this about a crypto reserve? | The Indicator from Planet Money | Podwise
