Rep. Gill Buys $300K in Bitcoin, ETF Amid Crypto Support

Representative Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican and former investment banker, has emerged as one of Congress’s most active cryptocurrency investors since his January swearing-in. According to his most recent transaction report filed November 18 with the House of Representatives clerk, Gill purchased between $100,000 and $250,000 in Bitcoin on October 20, followed by an investment of $15,001 to $50,000 in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) just nine days later. These latest acquisitions bring his total recent Bitcoin and ETF purchases to approximately $300,000.

The first-term lawmaker, who sits on the House Budget Committee, has been systematically accumulating Bitcoin throughout his initial year in office. House transaction reports reveal Gill has built a substantial cryptocurrency portfolio, accumulating up to $2.6 million in Bitcoin since January. His most aggressive buying occurred during a three-week period starting in late June, when he purchased up to $1.5 million in Bitcoin across three installments, including a single investment worth up to $1 million on June 20. Earlier in the year, he acquired $850,000 in BTC through four separate transactions beginning in late January.

Gill’s enthusiastic crypto investing has been marred by compliance issues with congressional ethics rules. According to the government transparency group OpenSecrets, the congressman failed to properly disclose up to $500,000 of his earlier Bitcoin purchases within the 45-day window mandated by federal law. Specifically, Gill reported buying between $100,001 and $250,000 in BTC on both January 29 and February 27 but only disclosed these trades on June 2, well after the deadline required under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act.

The STOCK Act, passed in 2012, was designed to curb insider trading and ensure accountability by requiring timely reporting of lawmakers’ securities transactions, including those involving digital assets. However, the law’s enforcement mechanisms appear weak—violators face only a $200 fine that congressional ethics committees frequently waive. This minimal penalty structure raises questions about the effectiveness of congressional ethics enforcement, particularly as digital assets become more prevalent in lawmakers’ investment portfolios.

Gill’s investment timing frequently aligns with significant political developments in cryptocurrency policy. His January Bitcoin purchase came just days after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for reduced regulation on digital assets. The February acquisition occurred immediately before Trump unveiled a “strategic Bitcoin reserve” initiative on March 6. As a staunch ally of Trump and vocal supporter of cryptocurrency, Gill’s financial interests appear closely tied to his political advocacy for reduced digital asset regulation.

David Meyers, OpenSecrets’ director of communications and marketing, highlighted the potential concerns in an email to Decrypt: “Crypto transactions are no more—or less—ethical than stock transactions. Members of Congress are required to disclose both so the public can determine whether lawmakers are acting on behalf of their constituents or in their own self-interests. However, with the president’s family heavily involved in the crypto industry, there are certainly questions to be answered as to whether investors are attempting to curry favor with the White House.”

Gill is not alone in his cryptocurrency investments among congressional colleagues. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) has purchased up to $60,000 in IBIT this year, according to House disclosures. Meanwhile, Representative Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pennsylvania) sold positions in Bitcoin, XRP and Solana earlier this year, indicating diverse approaches to digital asset investing among lawmakers.

The scale of Gill’s chosen investment vehicle underscores the mainstreaming of cryptocurrency in traditional finance. BlackRock’s IBIT manages more than $74 billion in assets, according to data provider CoinGlass—more than three times the next largest spot Bitcoin fund. This massive institutional adoption contrasts with Bitcoin’s recent price volatility; while Bitcoin was recently trading at about $92,140, it remains down approximately 27% since reaching a record high above $126,000 last month, according to crypto markets data provider CoinGecko.

Beyond cryptocurrency, Gill’s investment portfolio includes traditional technology exposure through the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF, which tracks the technology-focused Nasdaq. This diversification suggests a comprehensive approach to growth-oriented investments, though his substantial and rapidly accumulating Bitcoin positions dominate his disclosed financial activity. As congressional crypto trading becomes more common, the intersection of personal investment decisions and policy advocacy continues to raise important questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest in the digital asset era.