A congressman in the Philippines has proposed establishing a strategic Bitcoin (BTC) reserve, locking up 10,000 BTC for a 20-year period.
Introduced by Rep. Miguel Luis R. Villafuerte, the bill mandates the central bank to purchase 2,000 BTC a year for the next five years. If accepted, it would create a strategic reserve that could only be used to pay off national debt.
As references, Villafuerte cites the US strategic petroleum reserve, Canada’s strategic reserve of maple syrup, and China’s reserves of grains, pork products, and metals.
Global inspiration
In the proposed text, Villafuerte also notes the increasing prominence of Bitcoin reserves globally. He writes that the United States, El Salvador, Brazil, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hong Kong, Bhutan, China, and Thailand have all either established a reserve, are considering creating one, or are facing calls from prominent business leaders to form one.
In his text, the representative notes that “BTC's growth has outpaced all other asset classes, with a compound annual growth rate of about 40% over a five-year period.”
Long-term thinking
To ensure that the reserve is successful, there is a prohibition on immediate sale. “During the minimum holding period [of 20 years], no Bitcoin held in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve may be sold, swapped, auctioned, encumbered, or otherwise disposed of for any purpose other than retiring outstanding government debt instruments.”
Resiliency of the reserve would be created by a decentralized network of secure Bitcoin cold-storage facilities, which receive quarterly third party audits.
Recent legislation
The introduction of the bill follows a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency asset service providers (CASPs) passed in June 2025. The regulations took effect on 12 June and represent the government's most significant step to-date toward legitimizing and overseeing the nation's rapidly growing digital asset sector.
As part of the bill, and the growing role digital assets play in the Filipino economy, Villafuerte notes that establishing a reserve will not “infringe upon the rights of individuals, businesses, or organizations to purchase, hold, transfer, or dispose of Bitcoin in accordance with the law.”
