Indian ruling party Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari has urged the Centre to think seriously about building a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, arguing that the global mood on digital assets has changed for good.
His call lands just as Washington locks Bitcoin into its balance sheet and tiny Bhutan quietly turns hydro-power into a billion-dollar crypto hoard.
“This isn’t a reckless pivot, it’s a calculated step toward embracing digital assets’ legitimacy,” Bhandari insists.
The American template
In January, the United States transformed roughly 200,000 seized Bitcoins—now worth more than $20 billion—into a sovereign buffer against inflation and market shocks. Plans announced at last month’s White House Crypto Summit go further: boosting the reserve through budget-neutral tactics that keep taxpayers off the hook.
Three states already allow treasuries to hold Bitcoin; several more are drafting similar bills. Bhandari sees the move as a loud geopolitical signal: When the world’s largest economy puts Bitcoin on its books, everyone else takes notice.
Bhutan’s hydro-powered play
Closer home, Bhutan has mined Bitcoin since 2021 using surplus hydropower, amassing a war chest now topping $1 billion. What began as a lifeline after tourism collapsed in the pandemic now bankrolls public services and green projects.
Bhandari argues that India, with far bigger renewable capacity, could adapt the model at scale. The resources are here, he says. “India’s crypto policy—taxed but unregulated—needs clarity to unlock potential.”
Why Bitcoin has an edge
Bitcoin differs fundamentally from both fiat money and gold. Its code caps supply at 21 million coins—an engineered scarcity that many see as a reliable store of value. It answers to no central bank and runs on a decentralised network, so no single authority can rewrite the rules.
Trading never stops: the asset moves across borders every hour of every day. Each transaction lives forever on a transparent, tamper-resistant blockchain.
Also Read: India’s Crypto Dilemma: Can growing Institutional Adoption Enable Regulatory Clarity?
