Fed Can’t Hold Bitcoin, No Plans Yet To Change Law, Powell Says

Jerome Powell, chair of the US Federal Reserve, recently dismissed speculations that the Fed may add Bitcoin to its reserves. At the end of the its two-day meeting, Powell stated that the Fed isn’t allowed to own Bitcoin and doesn’t desire to get involved in any government initiative to create a stockpile of digital assets. 

The Bitcoin announcement comes after the Fed announced rate cuts while signaling uncertain monetary policies in the next few months. Powell’s announcement was surprising when President Donald Trump announced key appointments of crypto-friendly personalities. The market immediately reacted to Powell’s statement, sending Bitcoin’s price down by 5.7%. Other top altcoins like XRP also shed value.

Powell Thumbs Down Plans To Add BTC To Reserves

The debates on whether it’s time to create a stockpile of Bitcoin gained traction after Donald Trump secured a win and another presidency. Trump used Bitcoin and crypto as part of his campaign to attract support from crypto personalities and commentators. And by appointing key crypto-friendly personalities to top government positions and promising to revamp the SEC leadership, many expect to predict a Bitcoin stockpile soon.

Powell says Fed cannot hold Bitcoin, not seeking to change that https://t.co/72RQGK1Q6K

— ST Business Desk (@stbusinessdesk) December 18, 2024

However, Powell has categorically stated that the US banking system cannot hold Bitcoin. He argued that according to the Federal Reserve Act, there are rules on what banks can own, and Bitcoin is not included in the list.

He announced that they’re not looking to change the law soon, and it’s up to Congress to decide. 

Interest In Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Continues To Grow

Despite the Fed chair’s opinion on Bitcoin as a reserve asset, there has been growing attention on Bitcoin as a potential reserve asset. During the elections, Trump supported the proposal and even suggested that the US should become the center for crypto developments. Other pro-Bitcoin policymakers, like Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, have been campaigning for Bitcoin to be considered a reserve. `

Early this year, Lummis filed a bill asking the US Treasury to buy and add Bitcoin to the reserve. Under the Lummis bill, the US Treasury will adopt a program to buy 20,000 BTC annually for five years until the reserve holds 1 million tokens.

The market reacted negatively to Powell’s statement, with Bitcoin’s price dropping to $100,300, down by roughly 5.7% compared to the previous day’s close. As of press time, Bitcoin’s 24-hour trading value is between $98,839 and $105,306.

Other top cryptos followed Bitcoin’s lead, with Ethereum dropping by 6.8%, Solana by 8.1%, and Binance Coin shedding 4.6% in value. Dogecoin was the worst performer among the top altcoins, dropping to $0.348, or an 11% loss. Also, the stock market tumbled after the Fed official’s statement. The Nasdaq 100 dipped by 2%, and S&P ended the trading day with a 1.55% loss.

Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView