U.S. government confirms it did not sell Bitcoin seized from Samourai Wallet
The U.S. government has not sold the Bitcoin seized from Samourai Wallet, according to a confirmation from the Department of Justice (DOJ). The statement refutes earlier claims that the assets were liquidated, which would have violated Executive Order 14233 requiring forfeited Bitcoin to be retained. The DOJ clarified that the Bitcoin remains on the government’s balance sheet as part of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. On-chain data from Arkham supports this, showing no significant outflows from known U.S. government wallets. The confusion stemmed from historical precedent where seized Bitcoin was auctioned, but current policy under the executive order mandates holding such assets. The U.S. government continues to hold over 328,000 BTC, valued at more than $31 billion.
ambcrypto01/16 21:44
