Taiwan lawmaker urges adding Bitcoin to national reserves

Taiwanese legislator Ko Ju-Chun has urged the government to consider including Bitcoin in its national reserves, alongside gold and foreign currencies. 

Speaking at a national finance conference on May 9, Ko suggested allocating a small portion of the country’s reserve assets to Bitcoin (BTC) as a hedge against rising global economic uncertainty and regional geopolitical risks.

Ko pointed to Bitcoin’s decentralized nature, fixed supply, and growing role as a hedge in various countries as reasons to integrate it into Taiwan’s sovereign asset strategy.

He highlighted Taiwan’s reliance on exports and the associated volatility in the New Taiwan dollar as further justification for broadening the reserve mix. 

Bitcoin as a crisis reserve

The lawmaker also referenced the country’s vulnerability in a potential crisis scenario, suggesting that Bitcoin could serve as an uncorrelated asset that maintains liquidity and avoids seizure risk during geopolitical tensions. 

He previously indicated on X that Taiwan could allocate up to 5% of its reserves—about $50 billion—to Bitcoin, though he framed this as part of a diversified approach rather than a full pivot.

While Ko acknowledged Bitcoin is not a singular solution to Taiwan’s financial challenges, he emphasized the need to expand the nation’s toolkit for economic resilience.

The proposal arrives as Taiwan moves toward more crypto-friendly regulation. The Financial Supervisory Commission is expected to roll out institutional crypto custody trials later this year. In contrast, mainland China continues to enforce a blanket ban on most crypto-related activities.

Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission released a draft of the “Virtual Asset Service Act” on March 25 to regulate crypto businesses and protect investors. The draft included licensing requirements for VASPs, standards for stablecoin issuance by banks, and enforcement measures. 

A 60-day public consultation period was launched, with the law expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan by June 30.

Ko’s call positions Taiwan among a small but growing group of jurisdictions exploring Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. Though no formal policy has been introduced, his advocacy signals rising interest in digital assets within Taiwan’s financial planning discussions.