- The AfD party urges Germany to recognize Bitcoin as a strategic national asset.
- AfD’s Bitcoin reserve proposal requests exemptions from MiCA and clear, encouraging tax rules.
- AfD promotes Bitcoin as a “state-free money” to strengthen sovereignty.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has submitted a parliamentary motion calling on the government to recognize Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
The concise, forceful proposal argues that Bitcoin deserves treatment distinct from other crypto assets and requests tax and regulatory relief to foster innovation and national sovereignty.
AfD’s strategic Bitcoin reserve proposal
The AfD motion urges lawmakers to treat Bitcoin differently from tokens and stablecoins regulated under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.
It contends that Bitcoin’s decentralized design and fixed supply make it a unique form of digital value that should not be shoehorned into rules intended for centrally issued crypto instruments.
The party explicitly suggests the government consider holding Bitcoin in a national reserve as a hedge against inflation and currency volatility.
A central demand of the proposal is tax certainty.
AfD lawmakers want to retain the existing 12-month holding exemption for private capital gains and preserve Bitcoin’s exemption from VAT.
They also call for private mining and Lightning Network nodes to be clearly classified as non-commercial activities, reducing administrative burdens for individual participants.
The motion stresses the right to self-custody and warns that legal uncertainty deters long-term private investment.
AfD frames the proposal as part of a broader defense of digital sovereignty.
The party opposes a European digital euro and describes Bitcoin as “state-free money” that could protect liberty and reduce dependence on centrally issued monetary instruments.
The motion arrives amid debate over Germany’s mid-2024 decision to sell nearly 50,000 BTC seized in criminal proceedings — a move AfD and others now call a policy mistake given subsequent price movements.
The proposal argues that heavy-handed national implementation of MiCA risks capital flight and could weaken Germany’s position in blockchain innovation.
AfD lawmakers say excessive regulation would push firms and talent to more welcoming jurisdictions, eroding competitiveness in a field where technology and business models evolve quickly.
AfD also highlights potential synergies between Bitcoin and energy policy.
The motion suggests that productive use of renewable energy surpluses — including mining — could create technological and economic alignment between Germany’s energy transition and the Bitcoin network.
The party presents national Bitcoin accumulation as prudent reserve diversification, drawing parallels to moves and proposals in other European countries that have discussed or adopted similar approaches.
Beyond requesting a strategic statement from the federal government, the motion seeks concrete commitments: preserve full tax advantages, exclude certain private operations from commercial classification, enshrine the right to self-custody, and conduct open studies on Bitcoin’s role in reserves and energy integration.
AfD asks the Bundestag to formally recognize Bitcoin’s distinct status and to block national rulemaking that would extend MiCA beyond its intended scope.
Public reaction
Supporters within the crypto community welcomed the proposal as evidence that mainstream political debate is shifting away from dismissive metaphors about digital currencies.
Critics, however, worry the plan could politicize reserve policy or conflict with the regulatory aims of the EU.
Observers note Germany’s prominent position in the European economy, so any move to treat Bitcoin strategically would resonate across markets and policy discussions.
As the Bundestag reviews the AfD motion and as broader questions remain about how national policy should coexist with EU regulation, the proposal’s traction will depend on cross-party calculations of economic benefit, sovereignty risks, and regulatory coherence.