Important points
- The US Department of Justice has confirmed that the Bitcoins seized in the Samurai Wallet scandal will not be liquidated and will remain part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
- According to on-chain data, the US government holds approximately 328,000 Bitcoins in confiscated assets.
Ministry of Justice Bitcoins confiscated in the Samurai Wallet scandal have not been liquidated and will remain part of the U.S. government’s strategic Bitcoin reserves.
The confirmation was shared by Patrick Wittexecutive director of the White House President’s Digital Assets Advisory Council, said the assets will not be sold and will remain on the U.S. government’s balance sheet under Executive Order 14233.
Concerns were raised earlier this month after on-chain analysts observed approximately $6.3 million in Bitcoin moved from addresses linked to Samurai Wallet. coinbase primeThere has been widespread speculation that the assets may have been sold by the U.S. Marshals Service or the Department of Justice. Witt said the transfer does not represent a liquidation and was authorized under the executive order.
Executive Order 14233 was signed by donald trump Explicitly prohibits the sale of Bitcoins seized by U.S. government agencies in March 2025. The order created the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and marked a shift from previous practice, where confiscated cryptocurrencies were routinely auctioned off.
The forfeited assets resulted from the prosecution. samurai wallet Founders Keon Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill were indicted in 2024 and 2025 in connection with operating a privacy-focused Bitcoin blending service. Approximately 57 Bitcoins were confiscated as part of the plea agreement.
On-chain data from arkham intelligence This indicates that the U.S. government currently holds approximately 328,000 Bitcoins in assets seized and controlled as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, with a value of approximately $31.2 billion at current prices of approximately $95,000. Samourai-related Bitcoin forms part of this broader government-held BTC pool.
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is US Treasury Rather than liquidating the seized Bitcoins in the market, the aim is to hold them as long-term national assets.
Editor’s note: Updated to add details about the U.S. government’s Bitcoin reserves.
