2408: Russia Just Beat America To Bitcoin - Here's What Their New Law Actually Says

**Justin Verrengia** (0:00)
Everyone asks, when will my country buy Bitcoin? Wrong question, the real question. What happens when your rival buys it first? Let's get into it. What if Russia buys 1 million Bitcoin before the United States? It sounds outrageous, but that's exactly the scenario of the high priest, Max Keiser, believes the market isn't taken seriously enough. His argument isn't that Russia is secretly buying millions of Bitcoin today, it's that Russia may have one of the biggest strategic advantages in the global Bitcoin arms race, which Max coin the global hash war. Think about it. Russia has some of the cheapest energy in the world. Its debt to GDP ratio is only around 15%, giving it far more fiscal flexibility than many Western nations. It controls its own currency, and in Max's view, could issue roughly 100 billion in Bitcoin-backed bonds without much difficulty. His conclusion is simple. Buying 1 to 5 million Bitcoin isn't fantasy. For Russia, it's a viable strategic option. Now, here's where things get very interesting. Earlier this week, Russia quietly passed legislation recognizing Bitcoin and digital assets as property. That might sound like a technical legal update, but it represents something so much bigger. Before a country can realistically accumulate Bitcoin at scale, it first needs legal clarity. You can't build a strategic reserve around an asset your legal system hasn't fully recognized. That's why this legislation matters. For years, the biggest question surrounding Bitcoin was whether governments would ban it. Today, the question is becoming something entirely different. Which global superpower accumulates Bitcoin first? We've already watched the United States move in that direction. Senator Cynthia Lummis has continued pushing legislation that would allow America to acquire 1 million Bitcoin for our strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Michael Saylor has gone even further, arguing the United States should eventually control roughly 25% of the total Bitcoin supply. But Bitcoin doesn't wait for politics. Every month spent debating gives another nation an opportunity to move first, and Russia isn't operating in a vacuum. The country has already expanded the legal use for Bitcoin for international trade. Reports also highlighted growing cooperation between Russia and China around alternative financial infrastructure as both countries continue reducing dependence on the US dollar. Even if those developments aren't the same thing as building a national Bitcoin reserve, they show a willingness to integrate digital assets into long-term geopolitical strategy. This is where the game theory becomes fascinating. Imagine you're sitting inside a government. If you believe Bitcoin eventually becomes a multi-hundred trillion dollar monetary network, waiting could become the most expensive decision your country ever makes. The first nation to secure a meaningful percentage of the fixed supply gains an enormous advantage over everyone arriving later. Every Bitcoin purchase removes another Bitcoin from the market. Every nation that enters the race drives the price higher for every other nation. That follows. That's how scarcity works. That's why this isn't just about Russia. It's about incentives. If one major power starts accumulating Bitcoin aggressively, other governments will feel the pressure to respond. Not because they love Bitcoin, but because they can't afford to let a geopolitical rival control a disproportionate share of the world's hardest monetary asset. That's exactly the type of game theory Bitcoin was designed to create. Nobody wants to be the last country trying to buy a scarce asset after everyone else already understands its value. Does that mean Russia is about to announce a purchase of 1-5 million Bitcoin?
Not necessarily. There's no evidence of that happening right now.
But after recognizing Bitcoin as property, expanding its digital asset framework, and considering the strategic advantages Max points to, the conversation has changed. The story is no longer whether government will adopt Bitcoin. The story is which major nation accumulates Bitcoin first. So let me ask you, who do you think buys 1 million Bitcoin first? Will it be the United States via our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve proposal? Will it be Russia, China, or someone entirely different? Now, this isn't just my opinion. Let me show you the post that started this entire conversation. This is a throwback post from the High Priest, Max Keiser. It's timestamped June 3rd, 2025 He wrote, what if Russia suddenly realized they have a very high strategic advantage and can buy 1 million Bitcoin faster than the US and win the global hash war? They have incredibly cheap energy costs, extremely low debt of 14.9% to GDP, and the ability to print their own currency, issuing 100 billion in bit bonds is easy for Russia. Buy 1 to 5 million Bitcoin, no problemo. He also did a post here. If USA buys 1 to 5 million Bitcoin, they remove Russia's ability to de-dollarize the world and keep inflation as high as they want it, being the world's number one commodity producer. But the US will have to act fast. Once Russia figures this out, they will use their ultra cheap energy and pristine balance sheet to outmaneuver the US and buy 1 to 5 million Bitcoin first. So there you go. Who do you think moves first? Will it be Russia? Will it be the US.? Or someone out of left field? I'll let you boy. And here's the big news all week surrounding Russia. Just then, Russia's Duma passes Bill 1194918-8, classifying Bitcoin and digital assets as property, not currency. This is effective September 1st, 2026, which is right around the corner. Massive news coming out of Russia.