Welcome to issue #41 of The Bitcoin Act, where every Tuesday and Sunday we track the legal and regulatory moves that actually shape Bitcoin, cutting through noise, narratives, and theater.

Now for today’s top stories:

⚡ ARMA Bill to Lock Bitcoin as Permanent U.S. Reserve
Rep. Nick Begich reintroduces the BITCOIN Act under a new name, the American Reserves Modernization Act.

🏛️ Bitcoin 2026: White House, FBI, and Congress Go All In
Patrick Witt hints at a big strategic reserve announcement, Senator Lummis confirms market structure legislation gets marked up in May.

🏧 Tennessee Bans Bitcoin ATMs Statewide
Governor Bill Lee signs a full statewide ban on Bitcoin ATMs, effective July 1, making it a criminal offense to operate or host one.

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Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) announced at Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas that he's reintroducing legislation to make Bitcoin a permanent U.S. strategic reserve asset. Rebranded as the American Reserves Modernization Act (ARMA), the bill would codify Trump's executive order into law, meaning no future administration could simply reverse it. It also includes a plan to acquire one million bitcoin over five years using budget-neutral strategies, no new taxes.

This matters because Trump's reserve order currently has no legal teeth, the next president can kill it on day one. ARMA would lock it in through an act of Congress, far harder to unwind. Your stack just got a potential permanent sovereign buyer. Keep hodling.

The Block

Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas is effectively a Washington relay race this week. White House Executive Director Patrick Witt hinted at a "big announcement" on the strategic Bitcoin reserve "in coming weeks." Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) announced market structure legislation will be marked up "in May", adding: "We are gonna get it to the finish line." SEC Chair Paul Atkins publicly urged Congress to move: "We really need to have congress speak to this area. We're ready, willing, and able." FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI wants to work proactively with the Bitcoin community and stated plainly: "Bitcoin's not going anywhere." 

Not everyone is aligned though. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) is emerging as a friction point, pushing to attach ethics provisions to the market structure bill, a potential roadblock that could slow the whole timeline. Watch May.

Bitcoin Magazine / The Block / Cointelegraph

Tennessee just became the second U.S. state, after Indiana, to fully ban Bitcoin ATMs. Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill on April 13, effective July 1. Operating or even hosting one on your property is now a Class A misdemeanor: up to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine. The driver: scammers have weaponized these machines to steal nearly $390 million in 2025 alone, mostly from elderly victims. Thirty states have introduced kiosk bills this year. New Hampshire lawmakers also passed a bill that caps daily transactions at Bitcoin and crypto ATMs to $2,000 and requires fraud refunds and wallet screening.

For self-custody Bitcoiners, the real signal is this: states are now banning Bitcoin infrastructure with unanimous bipartisan votes. The more anonymous on-ramps disappear, the more your self-custody setup is your only sovereign option. Get your sats off exchanges. Hold your own keys.

The Block

🔐 France Charges 88 in Bitcoin Wrench Attack Wave
French prosecutors charged 88 individuals, including 10 minors, for kidnapping and physically assaulting Bitcoin holders to force wallet transfers. 75 are already in pretrial detention. Stop broadcasting your stack on social media.

🇬🇧 UK Opens Tax-Free Bitcoin ETN Access
The FCA lifted its four-year ban on retail Bitcoin ETN purchases in October 2025. Startup Stratiphy is now the first platform letting British investors hold them inside a tax-free ISA account. Still not self-custody, but a real regulatory step forward.

🇨🇿 Czech Central Bank Governor to Address Bitcoin Reserves Strategy
Governor of the Czech National Bank is speaking today at Bitcoin 2026 in Las Vegas on why the country is moving toward diversifying its reserves with Bitcoin. A European central bank openly treating Bitcoin as a reserve asset is no longer fringe, it is set to become part of official policy.

🇨🇭 Swiss Working Group Proposes Bitcoin in National Reserves
An independent Swiss working group proposed allocating part of Switzerland's national reserves to Bitcoin instead of accumulating more U.S. dollars. The Swiss National Bank hasn't committed yet, but the conversation is now happening at the top.

👩‍⚖️ Saipan Scammer Gets 71 Months for Bitcoin Fraud
A 30-year-old woman was sentenced to nearly 6 years in federal prison for targeting elderly women with a fake Bitcoin investment scheme. She built emotional trust before stealing. Courts ordered $769,355 in restitution. Bitcoin is not the scam, protect the people around you.

🇫🇷 French Tax Leaks Are Getting Bitcoiners Kidnapped
French prosecutors flagged 41 Bitcoin holder kidnappings in France in 3.5 months of 2026. Telegram founder Pavel Durov pointed to a likely driver: French tax officials allegedly selling Bitcoin owners' data to criminals, compounded by massive government database leaks.

🪖 Bitcoin Framed as Emerging U.S. Strategic Asset
Rob Wallace of Bitcoin News argues that Admiral Samuel Paparo’s Congressional testimony reinforces the idea that Bitcoin is being understood through a national security lens. Interpreting the discussion through Jason Lowery’s “Softwar” thesis, he suggests that Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a tool for power projection and cybersecurity, positioning BTC as a strategic asset in the context of U.S.–China rivalry.

🇯🇵 Bank of Japan Holds Rates, Cites Iran War
The Bank of Japan held its benchmark rate steady at 0.75%, citing the Iran war and rising energy prices. Central banks are frozen. Every time that happens, 21 million looks more credible.

🇨🇦 Canada Launches $25B Sovereign Wealth Fund
Canada announced its first-ever sovereign wealth fund, the "Canada Strong Fund", with C$25 billion to deploy. No Bitcoin allocation yet. The question is no longer if, it's when.

🇫🇷 France's Economy Minister Pushes Euro Stablecoins
France's Economy Minister is backing euro-denominated stablecoins. Société Générale's EURCV is already live with strong volume, and other French banks are expected to follow. A euro stablecoin is still a euro, same debasement, same state control, just faster.

Every week I drop one concrete, actionable answer to a legal or political question that actually affects your life as a Bitcoiner, focused on a specific, real-world action you can take. No theory. No fluff. Just the move.

This week: What can you do as a citizen to push for better Bitcoin legislation in the U.S.?

The bills are moving. ARMA, market structure legislation, reserve frameworks — Washington is closer than it's ever been. But Congress moves when it feels pressure. Here's how you apply it:

1. Contact your representative directly. Go to btcismoney.xyz, it shows you exactly who represents you and how to reach them. One email or call from a constituent carries more weight than you think.

2. Orange-pill a local merchant. The most powerful lobbying is ground-level adoption. Show a business owner Square or Wallet of Satoshi to accept Lightning payments in minutes. Then tell them to list their shop on btcmap.org so other Bitcoiners find them. A merchant who accepts Bitcoin becomes a citizen who cares about Bitcoin policy.

3. Vote with Bitcoin in mind. Every election cycle, look up where your candidate stands on Bitcoin, taxation, self-custody rights, reserve policy. It's a filter, not a single issue.

4. Stay informed. You're already here. Keep showing up.

Got a legal or regulatory question you want answered next Tuesday? Hit reply and send it. Best question gets the next Sovereignty Move.

📊 Clarity Act signed into law in 2026 — 45% (Polymarket)

📊 Clarity Act signed before August — 7.5% | Before July — 11% (Kalshi)

📊 U.S. national Bitcoin reserve established before 2027 — 56% (Polymarket)

📊 Trump pardons Samourai Wallet dev before Dec 31, 2026 — 27.75% (Predyx)

📊 Democrats win the U.S. House in 2026 — 86% (Predyx)

The first people to open and read this newsletter can claim 21 sats! Learn interesting things and earn sats while you’re at it! 👇

“This is a case that matters to bitcoiners and to the country at large. A pardon is the path, and I think it's justly deserved.” — Lauren Rodriguez, wife of Keonne Rodriguez

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