Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently expressed his belief that the United States should establish itself as a global leader in the field of digital assets. In an interview with CNBC, Bessent emphasized the importance of welcoming crypto-related businesses to the country and assuming a leadership role in the industry.

Bessent stated, “I strongly advocate for the United States to take the lead in the global crypto market. We need to bring it within our borders and implement our best practices and regulations.” He also commended the recent action taken by President Donald Trump to establish a Bitcoin reserve, which signifies the commitment of the US government to refrain from selling any seized BTC.

According to David Sacks, the White House’s “Crypto Czar,” the US government has sold approximately 195,000 Bitcoin for $366 million, a significantly smaller amount compared to its current value of over $17 billion. As per the data provided by blockchain analytics firm Arkham, the US government currently possesses BTC worth $17.05 billion. Bessent further mentioned the possibility of formulating an acquisition plan to acquire more Bitcoin for the reserve.

Bessent explained, “Before we can accumulate the Bitcoin reserve, we need to cease selling it. The current reserve consists of seized assets… Therefore, the first step is to halt the selling… After compensating the victims and completing necessary procedures, any seized assets will be allocated to this reserve. Subsequently, we will assess the way forward for additional acquisitions for the reserves.”

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $86,624, without any significant changes in price throughout the day.