Bitcoin is often said to be a kind of “digital gold” due to its scarcity, with its supply capped to a maximum of 21 million coins that will ever be produced. Advocates of Bitcoin argue that this limit makes Bitcoin a great anti-inflationary store of value, and now governments are increasingly taking the same view. 

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a “strategic reserve” of Bitcoin, in line with his plans to ensure the country becomes a leading innovator in the crypto industry. 

Crypto supporters have hailed the President’s plan as a genius, while skeptics have argued that doing so will unnecessarily expose U.S. taxpayers to crypto markets' notorious volatility. But what is Trump hoping to achieve with a Bitcoin strategic …