Satoshi Nakamoto

Bitcoin

President Donald Trump

Force

Roswell, New Mexico has always had a <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/this-new-mexico-city-is-the-first-in-the-u-s-to-create-a-bitcoin-reserve" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">thing for things that don't quite fit</a>.
In the summer of 1947, the U.S. Army Air Force announced it had recovered a "flying disc" from a ranch outside the city — a statement that was walked back within days but never quite forgotten. Roswell has lived in that footnote ever since, leaning into the unexplained with <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/alien-discovery-more-likely-than-bitcoin-hitting-200k" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">alien-themed diners, UFO museums</a>, and an annual festival that draws tens of thousands of true believers every year.
But the city also has another claim to history — and this one is fully documented.
In 2025, Roswell became the first city in the United States to establish a strategic <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/white-house-official-reveals-new-details-on-bitcoin-reserve-" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin reserve</a>, beating every major financial hub, state capital, and municipal government in the country to the punch.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/rich-dad-poor-dad-author-says-two-forces-are-quietly-hurting-investors" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' author says two forces are quietly hurting investors</a>
<h2 id="how-it-started">How it started</h2>
It began with an anonymous donation on January 3, 2025 — a date that carries significance in the Bitcoin community as the anniversary of the genesis block mined by <a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/trader-predicts-satoshi-could-move-bitcoin-in-2026" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Satoshi Nakamoto</a> in 2009. The donor sent 3,050,323 satoshis — roughly 0.0305 BTC — to a public wallet address, with no name attached.&nbsp;
The donation was officially received on April 29, confirmed by Mayor Pro Tem Juliana Halvorson, who ceremonially signed the receipt at the office of the Roswell Daily Record, recognizing the Roswell Strategic Reserve and Bitcoin Emergency Fund. The wallet address was made public.
The seed donation was valued at approximately $2,906 at the time of the announcement. Since then, the wallet has received multiple anonymous donations.&nbsp;
According to <a href="https://intel.arkm.com/explorer/entity/city-of-roswell" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">blockchain intelligence platform Arkham Intelligence</a>, as of May 26 2026, the fund's current value stands at approximately $13,109 — growth driven entirely by incoming donations and <a href="https://app.decibel.trade/trade/BTC-USD" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Bitcoin's price movement</a>, with no city funds spent.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
 ALIENS ARE BUYING BITCOIN The city of Roswell, New Mexico was the site of a famous UFO crash in 1947. The US Army Air Force announced possession of a “flying disc”, believed by many to be an alien spacecraft. Now, that same city holds $13.3K of BTC that it received as donations… <a href="https://t.co/u2mn9rWL58" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">pic.twitter.com/u2mn9rWL58</a>— Arkham (@arkham) <a href="https://x.com/arkham/status/2059286862632464778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">May 26, 2026</a>
</blockquote>
<figure><a href="https://intel.arkm.com/explorer/entity/city-of-roswell" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"><img src="https://www.thestreet.com/.image/c_fit%2Ch_675%2Cw_1200/MjIzNjQ0Nzg3NDUyOTQ2MTk3/screenshot-2026-05-27-at-14520am.png" height="675" width="823"></a>
 <figcaption>
 Since the reserve’s launch on April 29, 2025, the wallet has continued receiving multiple anonymous Bitcoin donations. Source:&nbsp;<a href="https://intel.arkm.com/explorer/entity/city-of-roswell" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Arkham Intelligence</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h2 id="what-the-money-is-for">What the money is for</h2>
The rules governing the fund are straightforward. The Bitcoin and all donations will be held for 10 years and then used for stipends to cover a portion of the water bills of Roswell senior citizens, based on the amount of continuing donations and any increased value of the reserve.&nbsp;
<h3 id="trending-on-thestreet-roundtable">Trending on TheStreet Roundtable:</h3>
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/satoshi-era-bitcoin-whale-moves-203-million" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Satoshi-era Bitcoin whale moves $203 million</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-says-ai-is-changing-bank-jobs-as-wall-street-backs-crypto" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Jamie Dimon issues stark warning on the job market as AI freezes hiring</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/american-state-clears-path-for-banks-to-hold-crypto-assets" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">American state clears path for banks to hold crypto assets</a></li>
</ul>
Should the fund ever reach $1 million in value, up to 21% can be unlocked every five years as a liquid emergency fund for declared disaster relief — but only with unanimous approval from the City Council.&nbsp;
<figure>
 <figcaption>
 A signed receipt confirming the City of Roswell’s acceptance of an anonymous Bitcoin donation used to establish the Roswell Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades at approximately $76,054.
<h2 id="the-bigger-picture">The bigger picture</h2>
Roswell's move did not happen in a vacuum. On <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-the-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-and-u-s-digital-asset-stockpile/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">March 6, 2025</a>, the U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a federal Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a broader digital asset stockpile — a decision that signalled a fundamental shift in how the U.S. government views cryptocurrency.
At the state level, New Mexico Senator Anthony Thornton introduced the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act (SB275) on February 4, 2025, proposing that up to 5% of the state's public funds be allocated to Bitcoin. The bill was tabled after being sent to the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee, though Thornton indicated he would reintroduce it in the future.&nbsp;
Roswell, characteristically, had already moved without waiting for anyone.
<h2 id="the-alien-angle">The alien angle</h2>
The city that has spent nearly eighty years as the world's most famous landing site for the unexplained is now holding an asset that a significant portion of the traditional financial world still considers equally implausible.
Whether that makes Roswell ahead of the curve or simply consistent with its brand, is, perhaps, a matter of perspective.
<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/markets/jpmorgan-sees-one-clear-winner-in-crypto-right-now" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Related: JPMorgan sees one clear winner in crypto right now</a>

Aliens go on a Bitcoin buying spree

Table of Contents

TheStreet Roundtable

Other articles published on May 27, 2026

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!