Today at the Bitcoin Policy Institute’s “Bitcoin for America” summit in Washington DC, U.S. Senator from Wyoming Cynthia Lummis announced that she is going to reintroduce her strategic Bitcoin reserve legislation in the Senate today.

“I am so pleased to announce that today I will be reintroducing The Bitcoin Act,” Senator Lummis stated. “And I’ll be joined here shortly by Senator Justice of West Virginia, who is one of the cosponsors. And we have several other additional cosponsors. And a lot of it is a result of the excitement that’s been building.”

Earlier today, the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, hosted the “Bitcoin For America” summit.

The event occurred in the wake of President Trump’s signing an executive order (EO) to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) and the White House’s hosting its first-ever Crypto Summit.

One might have expected jingoistic overtones from an event with such a title. However, many of the speakers acknowledged that Bitcoin is something that will benefit the whole world, and that, partially because of this, the U.S. should lead the way in adoption.

David Zell, Director of BPI, set the tone for the event in his opening remarks.

“Our goal for today is to continue this process, to help people understand how Bitcoin benefits America — and the world writ large,” he declared.

Zell was followed by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), a long-time Bitcoin advocate, who made the case that it’s only natural for America to set the pace when it comes to Bitcoin adoption. 

“This really is freedom money,” said Senator Lummis. “And America should lead when it comes to freedom money.”

Michael Saylor: Bitcoin And American Digital Supremacy

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor agreed with the Senator, making the case for why the U.S. should lead in this arena.

“I’m here today to show you how the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve represents a strategy for United States digital supremacy in the 21st century,” he began.

He went on to argue in favor of bitcoin as digital property, asserting that the United States should acquire as much of it as possible so that it can “rent and finance” on top of that property.

He also posited that trillions of dollars in commerce will flow over the Bitcoin network, which is another reason why the U.S. should prioritize acquiring its share of the network.

Moreover, he asserted that Bitcoin embodies American values and that owning it is the next best thing to living in the U.S.

“Everybody who is living in Asia, in Africa would move to the U.S. if they could,” said Saylor.

“They’d move their money to the U.S. if they could. They want the currency of the U.S. They want the security of the U.S. They want the values of the U.S., but they can’t have it,” he added.

“So, the second best thing they can have is to move their money into the Bitcoin network, which has all of the values, protection, and security of the U.S.”

Vivek Ramaswamy: Bitcoin’s Long-Term Return Is The New High-Risk Hurdle Rate

Ohio gubernatorial candidate and American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy followed Saylor, putting forward the motion that the rate of return on holding bitcoin for a decade or more is now the new high-risk hurdle rate.

He set the stage for this claim by making the case that we’re moving back into an “era of scarce capital.” He shared that this will be the inverse of the past 15 years, during which the Fed printed money en masse, in a manner similar to a cocaine dealer doling out cocaine to hungry users, as he put it.

He explained that institutions are going to once again have to consider the question “What is my opportunity cost of capital?” and, in doing so, they’ll have to define a hurdle rate for both low- and high-risk investments.

Ramaswamy argued that the hurdle rate for low-risk investments is the 10-year U.S. Treasury, while the hurdle rate for a high-risk investment will be the rate of return on bitcoin over a 10-to-15-year period.

He then closed out his talk by pointing out how the American ethos and the Bitcoin ethos overlap, and that, like the American flag, Bitcoin is a symbol of hope.

“I think Bitcoin and what it represents, more than as a financial asset, also helps to fill that hunger for a symbol, a reminder of what American greatness was all about,” said Ramaswamy. “And I think it makes it, in the national context, an even more fitting asset to fill our national Strategic Reserve.”

Matthew Pines: The World Is Paying Attention To Bitcoin After SBR EO

Matthew Pines, Executive Director of BPI, pointed out that bitcoin is beginning to take center stage in the eyes of world leaders for two reasons. 

The first, he claimed, is because U.S. debt markets have become increasingly fragile, prompting global leaders to start looking to invest in a global reserve asset aside from U.S. Treasuries.

The second reason is that President Trump’s SBR EO clearly stated that the United States sees bitcoin as “digital gold,” and that it will only be a matter of time before other leaders view it as the same.

“Last Thursday’s executive order landed on the desk of every major president, central bank [chair] and finance minister in the world,” said Pines.

“There are now discussions happening about how to interpret that. What does that mean for their own country’s relationship to bitcoin? Governments don’t move too fast, but when they do, they move in size, they move in scale and they can deploy trillions of dollars in capital that can have geopolitical effects,” he added.

“And I think we’re at this inflection point where the geopolitical aspects of bitcoin start to become extremely important, and can shape the next several years of Bitcoin’s future. The Bitcoin race is now on, and the ball is in our court to maintain our advantage.”

Congressman Nick Begich Reintroduces The Bitcoin Act

After Pines concluded his talk, he introduced Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) to the stage, where the Congressman made a major announcement.

“Today, I will be announcing the Bitcoin Act of 2025 in the United States House,” said Rep.  Begich.

The bill, which is an updated version of the bill Sen. Lummis proposed last year, proposes that the U.S. acquire 1 million bitcoin (at no expense to taxpayers) and protects U.S. citizens’ right to self-custody to their bitcoin.

“[The bill] explicitly protects the rights of individuals to own, hold and transact with bitcoin freely,” said Rep. Begich. “It recognizes self-custody as a fundamental right.”

Congressman Ro Khanna: Democrats Should Support Bitcoin

After a brief talk from Zack Shapiro, Head of Policy at BPI, on why U.S. states should hold bitcoin in their reserves, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) made the case for why Democrats should embrace Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin should be bipartisan,” said Rep. Khanna, the only Democratic politician to speak at the event.

“Now, people are going to be able to get bitcoin. That is transformational for so many people around the world, and that is why the Democratic Party should be embracing this as something that can create financial empowerment for people not just in the United States, but around the world,” he added.

Jack Mallers: Bitcoin Is A Return To American Values

After a handful of talks and panels including the likes of Casa CEO Nick Neuman, Newmarket Capital CEO Andrew Hohns and Lightspark CSO Christian Catalini, Strike CEO Jack Mallers took the stage as the final speaker of the summit.

In his talk, entitled “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: The American Monetary Revolution”, Mallers made the case that the establishment of the SBR was “a return to American values — including life, liberty and property.”

“The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve executive order and the Bitcoin Act proposed by Senator Lummis is the most significant economic shift and announcement and the only positive economic announcement that’s come out of this nation’s capitol in the last 100 years,” said Mallers.

He went on to say that American economic policy has been working against the principles the country was founded on and cited Executive Order 6102 (gold confiscation under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933), the Nixon Shock (President Nixon’s depegging the U.S. dollar from gold in 1971) and the 2008 bank bailouts as evidence.

However, he ended on a high note.

“[This is a] pivotal moment in American history and a turning point in economic policy for this country,” said Mallers. “The story of humanity is [people] engineering a better world — that’s America, that’s Bitcoin.”

The University of Austin (UATX) Partners with the Texas Bitcoin Foundation, Bitcoin Policy Institute, Unchained, and Strive to Host the Satoshi Papers Symposium 

Press Release 

The University of Austin (UATX) has partnered with the Texas Bitcoin Foundation (TBF), Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), Unchained, and Strive Asset Management to host the Satoshi Papers Symposium, an academic conference celebrating the launch of the TBF’s first book, The Satoshi Papers: Reflections on Political Economy after Bitcoin. 

The Satoshi Papers, published by BPI and edited by TBF executive director and BPI fellow Natalie Smolenski, draws inspiration from the eighteenth-century American debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists about the role of government in preserving the liberties of individuals and communities. The book features an open exchange of ideas among scholars about the relationship between money and state in a post-Bitcoin world. 

“The Satoshi Papers brings together economists, historians, anthropologists, and other social scientists to think together about how a decentralized digital protocol can inspire the re-formation of existing political and economic institutions,” said Natalie Smolenski, founder and executive director of the Texas Bitcoin Foundation. 

Bitcoin Policy Institute, a DC-based policy think tank, launches its book publishing imprint with The Satoshi Papers. 

“Launching a publishing imprint represents a natural next step for BPI as we continue to advance the intellectual foundations of Bitcoin policy. And The Satoshi Papers is the perfect inaugural publication — it represents exactly the kind of rigorous academic discourse needed to bridge the gap between Bitcoin innovation and policy development,” said Grant McCarty, co-founder of BPI. 

The Satoshi Papers Symposium, which will be hosted on UATX campus on April 16, 2025, features presentations by authors of The Satoshi Papers who are also BPI fellows, including Avik Roy, Josh Hendrickson, Craig Warmke, and Natalie Smolenski. Faculty from the University of Austin will discuss the arguments the authors present in the book. 

“At the University of Austin, we are committed to the fearless pursuit of truth and rigorous debate about the ideas shaping our world,” said Chad Thevenot, SVP of Advancements and Communication at the University of Austin. “The Satoshi Papers Symposium is a perfect example of that commitment, bringing together scholars and students to explore the economic and political implications of Bitcoin. We are honored that UATX will be a convening platform for this critical conversation.” 

The Symposium uniquely encourages student participation. Thanks to a generous donation from Strive Asset Management, a financial services firm cofounded by Vivek Ramaswamy, all students in the UATX inaugural class will receive copies of The Satoshi Papers and invitations to join the discussion during the Symposium. 

Matt Cole, CEO of Strive, said, “Strive believes Bitcoin should be a core allocation in the portfolios of everyday Americans. In light of the inevitable volatility characterizing the early life of a rapidly monetizing new asset, deep education is essential for investors to build and maintain conviction in that allocation. The Satoshi Papers is a vital contribution to Bitcoin education, and we’re honored to partner in hosting the Symposium.” 

The Symposium is generously supported by Unchained, an Austin-native financial services firm for bitcoin. 

Joe Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Unchained and director of the Texas Bitcoin Foundation, said, “Bitcoin redefines the relationship between money and state, and education is key to that shift. The Satoshi Papers challenges us to think critically about financial sovereignty—something we make real at Unchained by ensuring individuals control their own bitcoin. We’re proud to support this symposium and the broader effort to secure financial freedom for generations to come.” 

Unchained will host a public reception, book sale and signing of The Satoshi Papers at the Bitcoin Commons on the evening of April 16th. 

About the University of Austin 

The University of Austin (UATX) is a new private, nonprofit, nonsectarian university in Austin, Texas, dedicated to the fearless pursuit of truth. Its innovative undergraduate curriculum combines the rich inheritances of the past with the most compelling ideas and initiatives of the present. Each student will undertake a four-year Polaris Project to build, create, or discover something that serves humanity. The University of Austin’s inaugural freshman class began their journey in the fall of 2024. Learn more at uaustin.org. 

About the Texas Bitcoin Foundation 

The Texas Bitcoin Foundation (TBF) is a public charity dedicated to research and education about Bitcoin and political economy. Founded in 2021 by Natalie Smolenski, the Foundation brings together scholars across disciplines from around the world to explore the social and political impacts of distributed digital technologies. Learn more at txbitcoinfoundation.org. 

About Bitcoin Policy Institute 

Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank located in Washington, DC. It is dedicated to educating policymakers and the public about Bitcoin and disruptive digital technologies, providing research-based insights to inform sound policy in the United States. Learn more at btcpolicy.org. 

About Unchained 

Unchained is the most trusted name in premium bitcoin financial services, securing over 100,000 BTC through a collaborative custody model that combines institutional-grade security with white-glove service for high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses. Learn more at unchained.com. 

About Strive 

Co-founded in 2022 by Vivek Ramaswamy, Strive is a financial services firm with a mission to maximize value for its clients through unapologetic capitalism. The firm has quickly grown to manage $1.7 billion in assets since the launch of its first fund in August 2022, competing directly with the world’s largest financial institutions by empowering Americans to invest with a sole focus on shareholder value maximization. Strive recently launched a wealth management business unit to offer true financial freedom, including the tailored integration of Bitcoin into the portfolios of everyday Americans. Learn more at strive.com.