I can’t think of any. The current oil reserve is supposed to be used in the case of another oil embargo. But its actual use is to lower gas prices when the administration in power needs a political win.

I actually think the purpose of a Bitcoin reserve is to temporarily increase the price so tech-bros (re: Elon) can sell at a massive profit. Then buy back at a much lower price. It’s just a way to indirectly transfer federal dollars into administration pockets.

I can’t find any reason for the government to buy crypto and hold it in reserve.

  • Asafum@feddit.nl
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    12 days ago

    “I actually think the purpose of a Bitcoin reserve is to temporarily increase the price so tech-bros (re: Elon) can sell at a massive profit. Then buy back at a much lower price. It’s just a way to indirectly transfer federal dollars into administration pockets.”

    This is the way. It’s the only reason they’d do it.

    I seriously doubt BRICS has anything to do with Bitcoin, but the US is absolutely concerned about losing the status of world currency. It’s literally how we survive while running a massive deficit. When the rest of the world finds a way to do business without the US getting its cut we’re going to be in deep shit.

    • Bronzebeard@lemm.ee
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      12 days ago

      That’s exactly what the plan is. They’re funneling themselves government money, but in a way that’s less traceable

  • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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    12 days ago

    It is the same reason why the USA still holds gold and silver even through they aren’t pegged to the dollar, it is an asset class which could be useful in the future.

        • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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          10 days ago

          I heard there are about 70 Black Lotuses missing. Some people think that’s what the drones over New Jersey are looking for.

      • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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        12 days ago

        A lot of countries keep a reserve of Euros, which is a fiat currency not tied to a single country and only came into being about 25 years ago.

        Currency is like Tinkerbell, it only lives through belief in it. Right now, enough people believe in Bitcoin being a currency and that belief doesn’t seem to be going away as long as the Internet still exists.

    • Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de
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      11 days ago

      The issue is that relative to gold or silver, Bitcoin is very volatile. A crashing bitcoin could endanger the reserve, forcing the government to double down, making the volatile nature a bigger issue.

      Yes gold is somewhat volatile but compared to Bitcoin, it is super stable. And ofc gold and silver are real resources that you can do for their physical properties.

      • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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        11 days ago

        Price support can be a reason to create a reserve, but it isn’t the only reason. Most countries don’t plan their good and silver purchases based on trying to meet a value represented in currency.

  • Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works
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    12 days ago

    No, Please tell me it’s not in Elon playbook ?

    US money is incredibly strong, so US$ is way more interesting.

    15 years after it’s creation the bitcoin failed to meet the expectation of being a usable money or even “way to pay”

  • jrs100000@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    The only real benefit I can see would be to have the ability to suddenly crash the market on demand. This might be an interesting way to temporarily disrupt states trying to evade sanctions with crypto, but probably not a great investment on the $ to impact scale.

  • davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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    12 days ago

    Just the rumor of it alone benefits HODLers, and Trump has HODLers who donated to his election campaign.

  • Gork@lemm.ee
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    12 days ago

    Considering that the US Mint can literally print money, I can’t think of any reason either. I guess it won’t affect inflation as much, but still mass selling it will increase the money supply available to the government.

  • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    Should there be a collapse of the US economy, or global markets stop using the dollar standard, or sanctions placed on US banks by other countries, a store of alternative currency is good to have.

    • Dem Bosain@midwest.socialOP
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      12 days ago

      Isn’t that what gold is for? Does US still reserve gold? I seem to remember both James Bond and Die-Hard fighting to protect the gold reserve.

      • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        If the US reserves gold, why do they also reserve silver? Why do they reserve grain, oil, steel, cheese, or foreign currencies?

        Because it’s dumb to put all your eggs in one basket and the more you diversify, the safer it is. Like it or not, Bitcoin is an asset; and barring a global disaster that knocks out all electronics, it’s unlikely to go away. It makes sense to have some and sit on it.

        Will there come a time when everything falls apart and the only way to trade with another power is with tons of wheels of cheese? Probably not, but if it does, the US is ready.

        Will the same ever happen with Bitcoin? Probably not, but if it does, the US is ready.

        • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Magic the Gathering cards are an asset. Beanie babies are an asset.

          Gold and silver have a 5,000 years of history of currency. All other items like oil and cheese are commodities critical to life.

          If everything falls apart you can transfer a ledger of who owns the cheese without needing to physically move the cheese. Bitcoin doesn’t work without a working global internet of computers. It is more fragile than any traditional alternative.

      • FeloniousPunk@lemmy.today
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        12 days ago

        Allegedly. I personally knew a pilot who flew weekly trips in the 70s to Asia in C-130s filled to the maximum load of gold. So I have my doubts. Several years ago there was a push from Congress to inspect the gold reserves because nobody had laid verifiable eyes on it in a while. But I do not know how that worked out. It’s a great rabbit hole for you to follow - let us know what you find!

        • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          If it was a secret, the pilot would not be told. If it wasn’t a secret, it would be documented.

          Even assuming the story is true there is a huge leap between gold being shipped and it being Fort Knox Gold.

          For example many countries stored their gold at the US federal reserve for safety. China would have sent their Gold to the US during WW2 because they were overrun by Japan. After Nixon normalized relations with China, they would have gotten their Gold back.

          https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/goldvault.html

          • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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            12 days ago

            I replied to someone who posited the collapse of the US economy such that alternatives to money would be necessary.

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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    12 days ago

    yeah you got it. I mean maybe in some alternate universe where energy overabundance is a real problem and we have to figure out how to get rid of excess because it causes explosions or something. then it would make sense.