Donald Trump’s administration is considering implementing tariffs or other alternative mechanisms to finance the purchase of Bitcoin without resorting to public funds, according to Bo Hines, the former president’s chief crypto advisor.
In a recent interview with Anthony Pompliano, entrepreneur and influencer in the crypto ecosystem, Hines explained that Trump’s team is studying “creative and budget-neutral methods” to accumulate Bitcoin.
“We are exploring many alternatives, whether through tariffs or other means. There are literally countless ways to do it. Everything is on the table,” Hines said.
As executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Digital Assets — also known as the Crypto Council — Hines stressed that the goal is to accumulate Bitcoin without imposing burdens on the US taxpayer.
“We have made it clear that we want to acquire as much Bitcoin as possible. But always on the condition that it is budget-neutral, without costing the citizen a single cent,” he added.
In addition, Hines compared Bitcoin to gold and emphasized that the administration does not plan to sell its reserves, but to keep them as a long-term strategic asset.
A coordinated plan backed by crypto legislation
The project has the participation of key figures in the Trump cabinet, such as the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent. Both collaborate with the interagency working group that designs strategies to acquire Bitcoin.
Hines also showed his support for the “BITCOIN Act of 2025”, a bill promoted by Senator Cynthia Lummis. The proposal seeks to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for the United States and finance it with income generated by the revaluation of the Federal Reserve’s gold certificates. The goal is to acquire up to one million Bitcoins in five years and keep them as a national backup.
In a previous interview with journalist Eleanor Terrett, Hines even expressed openness to the possibility of replacing some of the gold stored at Fort Knox with Bitcoin, as long as it does not affect the country’s budgetary equilibrium.
“We are going to make sure that we leave no stone unturned as we move forward in developing these strategies,” he said.
Bitcoin as part of a broader financial transformation
Beyond accumulating Bitcoin as a strategic asset, Hines advocated the adoption of blockchain and digital assets as key tools for modernizing the US financial system.
“Our current banking system is full of friction. There are hidden fees, a lack of transparency, slow transfers… all of this shows that the traditional system no longer responds to the needs of the modern user,“ he explained.
According to Hines, blockchain technology will be crucial for a profound financial transformation.
“These emerging technologies will make the system more transparent, more efficient and more effective for Americans,” he concluded.
