Former White House crypto adviser Patrick Witt confirmed that President Donald Trump still intends to acquire bitcoin for the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, but open-market purchases face significant legal obstacles. Witt noted that because Congress controls federal spending, direct open-market purchases have "questionable legality," and a provision added to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) explicitly prohibits such acquisitions. The US government established the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve by executive order in March 2025, with initial holdings drawn primarily from previously seized bitcoin. The order directed the Treasury and Commerce departments to explore budget-neutral methods for acquiring additional BTC, though no specific plan or purchase program has been announced since. Witt further cautioned that codifying the reserve through standalone legislation would prove difficult given a divided Congress. Without legislative backing, the reserve remains dependent on an executive order, leaving it vulnerable to revocation by a future president.