Besenet: The U.S. Treasury "will not buy Bitcoin," but after being criticized, it changed its tune and continues to seek to increase its BTC holdings.

The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury made two statements in one day affecting Bitcoin, highlighting the gap in policy communication and the disparity between the reality of "budget neutrality" legislation. (Background: The U.S. July PPI explosion triggered a Bitcoin Long Wick Candle to $117,000, and Trump’s tariffs sounded the inflation alarm; will the Federal Reserve cut rates in September?) (Additional context: Bitcoin broke through $121,400, resulting in a Get Liquidated of $370 million; Tom Lee predicts it will surge to $250,000 by the end of the year.) U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated during an interview with FOX Business last night that "the Treasury will not buy Bitcoin," and coupled with the higher-than-expected PPI index, the BTC price quickly fell, with approximately $55 billion in market capitalization evaporating in just one hour. Perhaps due to backlash from the community, he clarified again this morning (15th) on the X platform, emphasizing that he is still looking for ways to support the Trump administration's goal of making the U.S. a "superpower in Bitcoin" through "budget-neutral" methods, leaving the possibility of purchasing open. Bitcoin that has been finally forfeited to the federal government will be the foundation of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that President Trump established in his March Executive Order. In addition, Treasury is committed to exploring budget-neutral pathways to acquire more… — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) August 14, 2025 Budget-neutral dilemma: the gap between ideals and legislative reality Bessent's statements are in direct conflict with Trump’s March executive order planning the establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR). The biggest challenge to promoting the SBR is the so-called "budget-neutral" mechanism, which means not raising federal spending or increasing the tax burden on taxpayers. The Treasury is considering re-evaluating gold certificates or using tariff revenues, but any plans must pass through Congress. Previously, Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis proposed the "BITCOIN Act" in March, attempting to grant the government direct authorization to purchase Bitcoin, but the bill has yet to be scheduled. Bitcoin mining company Braiins CEO Eli Nagar lamented: Still "exploring budget-neutral pathways"? Without tangible exploration, it seems like just delaying. States take the lead while federal observes: localized policy experiments surrounding the central government Compared to the indecision at the federal level, a few state governments have already begun testing. Supporters believe that if the federal government delays further, other sovereign nations or local governments may seize the high ground in digital assets in geopolitical maneuvering. This pressure may eventually push the federal government to clarify its framework quickly, but it also increases the weight of each official statement; any misstep could lead the market to reprice "policy uncertainty". Consistency in communication becomes the key for the next stage In the short term, the legislative rhythm in promoting the "BITCOIN Act" or other authorization bills will determine whether the SBR can transition from an idea to a system. In the long term, for the U.S. to become a Bitcoin superpower, it not only needs to accumulate sufficient Holdings but also must convince the market that policy goals will not change unpredictably; trust and clear legislation must be accelerated in building; however, if delays continue, the market may exhaust its patience amid repeated "wording trials". Related reports Tom Lee predicts Bitcoin will reach $250,000 by the end of the year; why is market attention shifting to Bitcoin Hyper and other L2 projects? DAT digital vault rises: from holding Bitcoin to yield management Chinese A-share aunt calls for Crypto Assets: Bitcoin is digital gold, Ether is the Web3 leader, SOL is the Blockchain casino leader. (Bessent: U.S. Treasury "will not purchase Bitcoin"; after backlash, he changes tune to continue seeking to increase BTC holdings.) This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential Blockchain news media.