In a striking turn of events, Robert "Bo" Hines, executive director of the President's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, has suggested that selling some of the gold reserves at Fort Knox to acquire Bitcoin could be a possibility—so long as the move remains budget-neutral.

Hines made this remark during an interview on March 21 with journalists Eleanor Terrett and Jacquelyn Melinek. The discussion followed President Trump's recent Executive Order, signed on March 6, which established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. This reserve, composed of Bitcoin forfeited by federal agencies, is set to grow through budget-neutral acquisitions—a principle central to the administration’s approach to digital assets.

When asked to provide an example of a budget-neutral Bitcoin acquisition, Hines referenced Senator Cynthia Lummis’s BITCOIN bill. According to Hines, the proposed legislation will formally enshrine Trump's executive order into law and outline methods for the government to reassess the value of certain gold certificates. If this reevaluation results in recognized gains, those funds could be used to acquire more Bitcoin without impacting the federal budget.

“That would be a budget-neutral way to acquire more Bitcoin,” Hines explained.

The conversation took an even more intriguing turn when Terrett inquired whether the government could theoretically sell some of Fort Knox’s gold reserves to purchase Bitcoin. Hines responded, "Well, if it’s budget neutral and doesn’t cost the taxpayer a dime."

Hines emphasized that the Trump administration remains open to "new ideas" and "innovative approaches" in the evolving crypto landscape. This openness is reflected in the government’s decision to diversify its digital asset holdings, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, and Cardano—selected based on market capitalization.

Currently, on-chain analytics platform Arkham reports that the U.S. government holds 198,109 BTC worth approximately $16.6 billion, along with 60,850 ETH valued at $119 million as of March 21.

As discussions around government-backed Bitcoin investments intensify, the notion of leveraging Fort Knox’s gold reserves for crypto remains speculative yet thought-provoking. If such a strategy were to gain traction, it could mark a historic shift in the way the U.S. manages its financial assets in the digital age.