Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Crypto World

Vancouver’s Bitcoin Reserve Faces City Bureaucrats’ Pushback

Published

on

Crypto Breaking News

Vancouver’s financial staff have recommended against establishing a dedicated Bitcoin reserve, arguing the move would breach the Vancouver Charter and advising the council to drop the proposal. In a March 2 motions update, Colin Knight, who heads the Finance and Supply Chain Management department, stated that Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) cannot be held as an allowable investment for the city. The recommendation comes after Mayor Ken Sim had floated the idea in 2024 as part of a broader effort to diversify reserves and embrace digital assets. Although the proposal previously cleared the council with bipartisan support, staff now say a pragmatic path forward is to merge the initiative with related workstreams and defer a formal decision until the March 10 council meeting. The context is further colored by ongoing debates about Bitcoin’s role as an inflation hedge and the asset’s recent price gyrations.

Key takeaways

  • Vancouver staff concluded Bitcoin cannot be considered an allowable municipal investment under the Vancouver Charter, effectively blocking a dedicated Bitcoin reserve.
  • The original proposal, spearheaded by Mayor Ken Sim in late 2024, aimed to diversify the city’s reserves and position Vancouver as a Bitcoin-friendly city; it had received council support in earlier votes.
  • The strategy’s momentum faced a heads-up from macro-market dynamics, with Bitcoin’s inflation-hedge narrative challenged as the asset’s price retreated from its peak in 2025.
  • Staff recommended folding the Bitcoin reserve idea into other priorities, with a final decision expected at the March 10 council meeting.
  • Analysts remain divided on Bitcoin’s near- to mid-term role as a treasury hedge, with some staying bullish while others caution against relying on the narrative amid volatility.

Tickers mentioned: $BTC

Market context: The Vancouver staff decision reflects the tension between public-treasury policy constraints and the evolving crypto market narrative. While some policymakers and economists have highlighted Bitcoin as a potential inflation hedge, municipal treasuries must operate within charter provisions and risk frameworks. The discussion in Vancouver mirrors broader debates about whether public funds should allocate to volatile digital assets, especially as BTC has experienced pronounced drawdowns after a multi-year rally.

Why it matters

The case unfolding in Vancouver highlights how municipal governance intersects with crypto asset policy. If a major metropolis cannot classify Bitcoin as an allowable investable asset, it signals the seriousness of charter constraints that curb public exposure to asset classes with inherently high volatility and regulatory uncertainty. For investors and builders in the crypto space, the outcome may affect the tempo of public-sector pilots or pilot-like programs in other jurisdictions, nudging cities to pursue more conservative treasury strategies or to explore non-custodial partnerships and educational initiatives rather than direct holdings.

From a market perspective, the incident underscores that Bitcoin’s appeal as a potential hedge is not static. While proponents have described BTC as “digital gold” due to its capped supply, the asset has weathered tough macro conditions, with price action testing the resilience of the inflation-hedge thesis. In recent cycles, price volatility has intensified discussions about whether institutions and public bodies should treat BTC as a long-duration store of value or a speculative instrument. The Vancouver update underscores a broader caution that policy decisions can lag or diverge from rapid shifts in market sentiment, potentially shaping how future public-sector experiments with digital assets are framed.

Advertisement

For city staff and policymakers, the decision sets a precedent on how to reconcile long-term financial resilience with legal and governance constraints. Proponents argued that diversifying reserves could help counter inflationary pressures and preserve purchasing power, but skeptics pointed to charter limits, risk tolerance, and the need for clear governance frameworks. This tension—between ambition for innovative treasury tools and the discipline of municipal finance rules—will likely inform future discussions in Vancouver and similar jurisdictions as crypto assets remain part of the broader policy conversation.

What to watch next

  • March 10 council vote: whether to drop the Bitcoin reserve motion entirely or to flesh out a merged initiative that remains within charter constraints.
  • Any formal amendments to Vancouver’s investment policy or treasury framework that could reflect a more nuanced approach to digital assets without direct holdings.
  • Subsequent clarifications from city staff on the precise language of “allowable investments” under the Vancouver Charter and how it applies to digital assets.
  • Public and expert commentary on Bitcoin’s ongoing role as an inflation hedge in the context of municipal-level risk management.
  • Broader municipal-stewardship experiments with crypto assets in other Canadian cities, which could foreshadow a wider policy trajectory if Vancouver’s stance evolves.

SOURCES & verification

  • Vancouver City Council motions update report dated March 2, linked in the council documentation
  • The late-2024 motion introduced by Mayor Ken Sim titled “Preserving the City’s Purchasing Power Through Diversification of Financial Reserves — Becoming a Bitcoin-Friendly City”
  • Cointelegraph coverage on Vancouver’s Bitcoin-friendly city initiative and subsequent council vote
  • Cointelegraph reporting on Bitcoin’s inflation-hedge narrative and price movements referenced in the discussion

Bitcoin’s change of course in municipal finance

The Vancouver episode provides a focused lens on how public funds intersect with crypto policy. The staff’s conclusion—that Bitcoin cannot be classified as an allowable investment under the Vancouver Charter—does not erase the underlying questions about digital assets’ place in government balance sheets. It signals a move toward caution, prioritization, and policy alignment over rapid adoption of new asset classes in municipal reserves. While the market continues to debate Bitcoin’s long-term role as an inflation hedge, public finance remains anchored in governance, risk tolerance, and legal frameworks that govern how treasury assets are defined, managed, and reported.

What to watch next

As Vancouver prepares for its March 10 council session, observers will look for whether staff’s recommendations are accepted as-is or if the motion is redesigned to fit within the city charter while preserving the broader objective of financial resilience. The outcome could influence similar deliberations in other jurisdictions, where the balance between innovation and prudence remains a central theme in the governance of public funds and digital assets.

What to watch next

  • March 10 council meeting: final decision on the merged approach or outright dismissal of the Bitcoin reserve proposal.
  • Clarifications on allowed investments under the Vancouver Charter and potential policy updates to treasury guidelines.
  • Public communication from the city explaining how any future exploration of digital assets would be conducted with safeguards and reporting standards.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Crypto World

Bitcoin Traders Bet On Sub-$66K BTC In April Due To Rising Fear

Published

on

Bitcoin Traders Bet On Sub-$66K BTC In April Due To Rising Fear

Key takeaways:

  • Bearish sentiment is rising as Bitcoin options professional traders lose confidence that the $66,000 level will hold for long.

  • The exit of David Sacks as the Crypto and AI czar and a lack of a clear US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve plan added to investors’ doubts.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell to $65,530 on Friday, an 8% decline from the $71,300 level seen on Thursday. This move wiped out over $210 million in leveraged bullish Bitcoin futures and left most call (buy) options worthless during the $18.6 billion monthly expiry. Traders now anticipate a 53% chance that Bitcoin will stay below $66,000 by April 24.

April 24 Bitcoin option prices at Deribit. Source: Deribit

On Friday, the April 24 Bitcoin $66,000 put (sell) options traded at 0.0566 BTC or roughly $3,730. With a 53% implied probability of Bitcoin trading below $66,000 by late April, the mood remains decidedly bearish following the increased uncertainty in the US and Israel-Iran war, pushing traders into a risk-averse mode.

US inflation threats and stalling crypto, Bitcoin legislation

Rising oil prices and a potential $200 billion in extra US military spending led investors to demand higher returns on government bonds and dragged the S&P 500 to its lowest levels since September 2025. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil surged to $100 on Friday, while 5-year Treasury yields reached 4.07%, up from 3.72% three weeks prior.

US 5-year Treasury yield (left) vs. S&P 500 (right). Source: TradingView

Inflationary fear and weaker corporate earnings perspectives alone cannot explain Bitcoin’s 20% underperformance against the S&P 500 in 2026. Other factors are likely at play, including investors’ discomfort over the lack of progress on the US Bitcoin Strategic Reserve.

David Sacks has stepped down from his role as the Trump administration’s crypto and AI czar. While Sacks remains an advisor on the President’s Council on Science & Technology, his departure follows earlier comments that inflated Bitcoin investors’ expectations. Sacks had previously hinted that the US could acquire more Bitcoin through budget-neutral methods without raising taxes.

Advertisement

Related: US lawmakers publish crypto tax proposal without Bitcoin tax exemption

Bitcoin 30-day options delta skew (put-call) at Deribit. Source: Laevitas

The Bitcoin options delta skew jumped to 15% on Friday, showing that put options are trading at a significant premium relative to call instruments. In balanced market conditions, this metric usually ranges between -6% and +6%. The current level indicates a lack of conviction among whales that the $66,000 level will hold. Fear has largely dominated the Bitcoin options market since mid-January.

Bitcoin options expiry favored neutral-to-bearish strategies

Friday’s monthly options expiry at $68,610 proved unfavorable for neutral-to-bullish strategies, as 97% of call options became void. Bears gained the upper hand as put options at $69,000 or higher surpassed $2 billion in open interest. Critically, part of Friday’s downward move reflects a growing unwillingness among traders to maintain Bitcoin exposure over the weekend.

Crypto markets cut risk on Friday due to uncertainty. Source: X/WhalePanda

X social platform user WhalePanda, suggested that the crash in risk markets anticipates President Trump making “another dumb escalating move” after US markets close. Consequently, the current fear seen in the options market could reverse if no major geopolitical events occur before Monday.

During bearish cycles, traders often rush for the exits at the mere sight of any event that could be deemed negative. Investors should not take Bitcoin’s implied odds at face value, as these metrics are heavily impacted by recent news and headlines. However, expectations could shift more favorably if Iran effectively releases a counter-offer to the US peace proposal.