In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s unexpected executive order – which hinted at establishing a US sovereign fund and incorporating bitcoin into the national strategic reserve – it is crucial to pause and weigh the trade-offs involved. While accumulating bitcoin might seem like an obvious strategy, a more ambitious – and ultimately more effective – plan calls for overhauling the nation’s financial architecture to unlock the potential of open networks.
The US occupies a unique position in global finance by issuing the world’s reserve currency – a status often referred to as the ‘exorbitant privilege’. But it’s more than a label economists use: it fundamentally reflects the global trust in US governance, economic resilience and the enduring safety of the dollar as a store of value.
The biggest risk posed by a bitcoin reserve
Proponents of a US bitcoin reserve argue that bitcoin’s status as ‘digital gold’ – decentralised and without a single point of failure – positions it as a neutral global asset, detached from any one nation’s monetary policy. But would accumulating bitcoin truly secure US financial leadership?
Unlikely. Strategic reserves are meant to ensure stability and provide immediate access during a crisis. Countries store dollars or oil because they need them to repay debts, settle cross-border obligations and keep essential systems running when supply chains falter. For all its promise, bitcoin doesn’t meet these near-term needs.
But there’s a bigger risk. If the US began amassing bitcoin on a large scale, it might be seen as a hedge against the dollar itself – raising alarms and giving rivals like China or Russia an opening to claim that the US no longer trusts its own currency.
Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory could be bright. It could grow into a universal settlement layer for nations wary of each other’s financial rails. But that transition is still unfolding. Today, the more critical step is building the infrastructure to let bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies evolve from speculative assets into a key component of global finance. Acquiring a large stash now will drive gains for early adopters and fuel speculation, but it offers minimal strategic advantage.
Raising the stakes with a dollar platform strategy
A far more powerful move than simply buying bitcoin is to shape its integration into the US financial system. Think of the early internet: the biggest winners weren’t those who just hoarded domain names; they were the ones who built on top of open protocols, becoming the backbone of a new digital economy.
Becoming a global bitcoin hub
Rather than treating bitcoin solely as an asset, recognise it as an open, permissionless network for money movement. Even countries that shun the dollar might end up using bitcoin’s neutral ledger. By building robust bitcoin infrastructure – including secure custody solutions, regulated exchanges and efficient on- and off-ramps – the US can attract significant economic activity and innovation. This is an opportunity to export US regulatory and compliance frameworks, technological expertise and financial best practices as the global financial stack evolves.
Bitcoin might be the first cryptocurrency to capture financial institutions’ attention, but it won’t be the last. As decentralised finance evolves, the true opportunity lies in becoming the digital capital of that emerging ecosystem.
Driving adoption of dollar-pegged stablecoins
Dollar-pegged stablecoins extend the reach of the dollar by modernising cross-border payments and making it easier for people worldwide to hold, send and spend in dollars. Their widespread adoption hinges on proper regulation – ensuring transparency, robust backing and consumer protections. Managed effectively, stablecoins can reinforce dollar dominance by effectively turning the dollar into the digital currency of choice for innovative financial services built on open networks.
While dollarisation may be unwelcome and even hinder the use of dollar-pegged stablecoin in some regions, that’s exactly where bitcoin can thrive – as a bridge between competing financial systems in a multipolar world.
Empowering US innovation and experimentation
The US didn’t scale the internet on its own – it laid the groundwork that allowed private innovation to flourish. Tech giants emerged by building on top of open protocols within a supportive regulatory environment. Today, a similar strategy could enable US startups and established financial institutions to develop innovative cryptocurrency and stablecoin-based financial services, thereby broadening the dollar’s influence rather than limiting it.
A balanced approach – combining robust government oversight with market-driven innovation – will keep the US ahead of top-down alternatives like central bank digital currencies, especially those from authoritarian regimes that are fundamentally incompatible with open networks.
A bold, strategic leap
This more complex strategy could secure the dollar’s dominance for decades. Instead of stockpiling bitcoin – a move that might undermine confidence – the US could integrate it into its financial system, allowing the government to shape the emerging ecosystem by setting standards and guiding innovation.
The upside is a more transparent financial system in which the US continues to leverage its most powerful asset: the dollar. Similar to how tech leaders open-source critical components to establish industry norms while monetising other areas, the US can expand its dollar platform and ensure seamless interoperability with bitcoin and stablecoins.
While any bold, transformative strategy carries inherent risks, resisting change only accelerates obsolescence. With its extensive expertise in platform competition, the current administration is uniquely positioned to take this bet.
Christian Catalini is Co-founder of Lightspark and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cryptoeconomics Lab.
This article was originally published in Forbes.
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