Key Takeaways
- The U.S. government currently holds more than $36 billion in Bitcoin, most of which has been seized due to criminal activity.
- Under President Trump, federal authorities have taken a strategic approach to managing seized Bitcoin by treating it as a digital reserve rather than liquidating it.
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Following the seizure of 127,271 BTC, worth over $14 billion at current prices, the U.S. government’s Bitcoin holdings increased to approximately $36 billion.
The assets were seized as part of a Ministry of Justice confiscation action related to the prosecution of Chen Zhi, chairman of Cambodia’s Prince Group. Prosecutors allege the conglomerate ran a forced labor fraud ring in conjunction with a global cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme.
The seized bitcoins, which are said to have come from fraud proceeds, are now part of the Justice Department’s largest-ever confiscation case. DOJ officials confirmed with DB that the funds were in custody.
According to data from Arkham Intelligence, wallets linked to the U.S. government currently control approximately 197,354 BTC worth $22 billion. With this seizure, the total amount of Bitcoin held by the government approaches 325,000 BTC.
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