In a recent interview with Kitco News, Natalie Brunell, a Bitcoin educator and host of the Coin Stories podcast, shared her thoughts on U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis’s groundbreaking proposal for a U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve.

According to Brunell, Senator Lummis has suggested converting part of the U.S.’s vast gold reserves into Bitcoin. Brunells says that the U.S. currently holds the largest gold reserves globally, totaling over 8,000 tons. Lummis’s proposal includes acquiring one million Bitcoins over 20 years, equating to about 5% of Bitcoin’s total supply. She argues that this transition could be “balance sheet neutral” by exchanging gold certificates for Bitcoin rather than purchasing Bitcoin outright with cash.

Brunell pointed out that the process could begin quickly, potentially within the first 100 days of the Trump administration taking office. This bold move, she believes, would signify the U.S.’s leadership in embracing Bitcoin and could pave the way for other nations to follow suit. Brunell referred to Michael Saylor’s philosophy of “selling the past to buy the future” to emphasize why Bitcoin represents the ultimate modern asset compared to gold.

Brunell linked the Bitcoin Reserve proposal to the broader macroeconomic challenges facing the U.S., such as rising deficits and inflation. She argued that Bitcoin offers protection against the debasement of currency, a concern for many as governments worldwide continue to print money to cover escalating debts. Burnell says Bitcoin’s finite supply and decentralized nature make it an ideal hedge against these pressures.

She also noted that Bitcoin’s long-term growth has outperformed all other asset classes, with a compound annual growth rate of about 40%. According to Brunell, Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as a tool for individuals, businesses, and even governments to protect their wealth and balance sheets in an era of rising economic uncertainty.

Brunell explained how corporations are starting to integrate Bitcoin into their strategies. She pointed to MicroStrategy’s recent purchase of nearly 52,000 Bitcoins as an example of how businesses are leveraging Bitcoin to strengthen their financial positions. Other companies are following suit, and Brunell predicts this trend will accelerate as regulatory clarity improves and Bitcoin becomes more accessible.

She also discussed how a U.S. Bitcoin Reserve could influence Bitcoin’s market dynamics. Brunell argues that acquiring such a significant portion of the asset over two decades could provide a strong upward force on Bitcoin’s value, attracting more institutional and sovereign interest.

Brunell also touched on Bitcoin’s role as a technological innovation. She explained how Bitcoin has addressed many of the limitations of gold, such as its physical nature and difficulty in settlement over long distances, and noted that Bitcoin’s ability to store and transfer value digitally has made it the “digital gold” of the modern era.

She stressed the importance of Bitcoin in democratizing financial systems. She says that for ordinary people who feel left behind by traditional monetary policies and stagnant wages, Bitcoin offers an opportunity to participate in a global financial system that cannot be manipulated or inflated.

While optimistic, Brunell acknowledged some challenges. She pointed out that while the regulatory environment is expected to improve under a pro-Bitcoin administration, there are still hurdles, such as navigating existing SEC rules and ensuring bipartisan support for initiatives like the Bitcoin Reserve. Additionally, Bitcoin’s inherent volatility remains a concern for new adopters.