Bitcoin Reserve · South Side, Chicago
17 Blocks · 21 Bitcoin Goal · 5-Year Lock · 2-of-3 Multisig
Funds secured by a 2-of-3 federated quorum distributed between Altgeld and Unchained.
Don't trust, verify. Reserves auditable on-chain 24/7. No fractional reserve, no rehypothecation.
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Synced
Goal: 21 BTC · Once reached, reserve locks for 5 years to allow long-term growth before any deployment.
ABR CEO
Primary Custodian
ABR Community Key
Distributed Trust
Unchained
Partner Guardian
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Understand Bitcoin from the ground up. Free for anyone, anywhere — start right now.
New · Oct 13, 2026
Arch Lending is backing ABR Bitcoin School and community financial-literacy programs for young people, parents, and seniors — no technical or financial background needed.
“Altgeld has received investment before. What it has not had is something it owns outright and can pass on.” — Tolbyus Shephard, Founder, ABR
Money, trust, and why Bitcoin exists. No prior knowledge needed.
Your Bitcoin, your keys. Learn to hold it yourself without relying on anyone else.
Why no one can fake a transaction — and how the network enforces that without a bank.
Send Bitcoin instantly for fractions of a cent. The payment layer that makes it practical.
How neighborhoods use Bitcoin together — shared reserves, local economies, and collective ownership.
Reserve History
From a founding vision to legislation — every milestone in the Altgeld Gardens Bitcoin Reserve.
Arch Lending (a ChainFi, Inc. platform) pledges to match the reserve’s existing bitcoin holdings and support ABR Bitcoin School and community financial-literacy programs. Arch is a contributor only: no ownership, repayment rights, investment returns, or control over reserve transactions. Announced on the eve of the first anniversary of Illinois House Resolution 446.
Free community event at Altgeld Community Center (951 E 132nd Place, Chicago, IL), 1:30–4:30 PM CST. Featuring Ben Gordon, John Cabello, Kiana Belcher, Jason Ervin, Yan Pritzker, Michelle Lilly, Brady Puglese, John Robak, Marlan Dixon, Timothy Niemeyer, Corey Phillips, and Andrew Tillman.
The Altgeld Gardens reserve is listed on the Community Bitcoin Reserve platform, making it visible to supporters and potential contributors nationwide.
Two new pieces of Bitcoin-friendly legislation are introduced in Illinois, signaling a shift in the state’s stance toward community-controlled digital assets.
The founding vision document for the Altgeld Gardens Bitcoin Reserve — 17 blocks, 21 Bitcoin. A block-by-block strategy for community financial sovereignty on Chicago’s South Side. Once the reserve reaches 21 BTC it locks for 5 years, letting it grow. Proceeds from every sale go directly to the reserve.
Proceeds support the reserve · Amazon
The Illinois House of Representatives adopts HR0446, officially recognizing the Altgeld Bitcoin Reserve as the nation’s first community-run Bitcoin reserve and commending the Altgeld Gardens community for its leadership, innovation, and dedication to financial empowerment.
The first community workshop on money, inflation, and Bitcoin basics is held in Altgeld Gardens, drawing residents from across the neighborhood.
The Altgeld Gardens Bitcoin Reserve is formally announced to the community, introducing the multisig vault model and inviting residents to participate.
Community Programs
Six active and planned programs working toward financial sovereignty block by block.
17 blocks, 21 Bitcoin. Each of the 17 blocks in Altgeld Gardens contributes toward a 21 BTC community treasury. Once full, the reserve locks for 5 years — giving it time to grow before the community decides how to deploy it.
Workshops and classes teaching residents the fundamentals of money, inflation, savings, and Bitcoin. Designed to meet people where they are — no prior financial or technical knowledge required.
Training the next generation of community leaders through Bitcoin education, digital literacy, and hands-on experience with multisig custody. Young residents learn to be keyholders and educators.
A dedicated 3 BTC lifeline within the reserve earmarked for community emergencies — medical crises, natural disasters, or urgent neighborhood needs. Governed by multisig consensus.
Regular gatherings for residents to learn about Bitcoin, discuss reserve governance, and build the social bonds that make collective custody work. Open to all, no experience needed.
Extending the reserve model beyond Altgeld Gardens to the broader 130th Street corridor and surrounding South Side communities, creating a network of neighborhood Bitcoin treasuries.
Institutional-grade offline key generation. Keys never touch the internet.
Cryptographically verified via Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT).
Distributed signers ensure no single point of failure in the custody chain.
Live Activity
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Reserve Updates
Arch Lending pledges to match the reserve’s existing bitcoin holdings and fund ABR Bitcoin School and community financial-literacy programs. Arch takes no ownership, repayment claim, or control over reserve transactions.
The Altgeld Bitcoin Reserve vault is fully operational on Bitcoin mainnet with 2-of-3 multisig quorum enforced by Unchained.
All three keyholders participated in an in-person signing ceremony. Hardware wallets verified. No digital transmission of keys.
Our reserve is now listed on the Community Bitcoin Reserve transparency portal, enabling independent public verification.
On-Chain Verifiable
Every satoshi is publicly auditable. No trust required.
The Vision Behind the Reserve
Barack Obama started his career in Altgeld Gardens fighting for residents who were being ignored. That fight never ended — it evolved.
blocks in Altgeld Gardens
Every block rallying toward one shared treasury.
Bitcoin — the vault goal
Reached in full before the 5-year clock starts.
years locked at full goal
Once at 21 BTC, Bitcoin stays put — no movement, just growth.
trust required
Every satoshi verifiable by any person on earth, right now.
Every purchase funds
the reserve directly.
"The communities most overlooked by traditional finance can lead the way in adopting a new monetary standard."
— BLK21, Tolbyus Shephard · Founder, Altgeld Gardens Bitcoin Reserve