Key Takeaways
- The US Division of Justice has confirmed that seized Bitcoin from the Samourai Pockets case won’t be liquidated however will stay as a part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
- US authorities holds roughly 328,000 Bitcoin in seized property, in line with onchain knowledge.
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Division of Justice has confirmed that Bitcoin forfeited within the Samourai Pockets case has not been liquidated and can stay a part of the US authorities’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The affirmation was shared by Patrick Witt, govt director of the White Home President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Property, who mentioned the property won’t be offered and can stay on the US authorities steadiness sheet below Govt Order 14233.
Considerations had emerged earlier this month after onchain analysts noticed roughly $6.3 million in Bitcoin moved from a Samourai Pockets linked handle to Coinbase Prime, prompting hypothesis that the US Marshals Service or DOJ could have offered the property. Witt mentioned the transfers didn’t symbolize a liquidation and had been permitted below the manager order.
Govt Order 14233 was signed by Donald Trump in March 2025 and explicitly bars US companies from promoting seized Bitcoin. The order established the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, marking a shift away from prior practices the place forfeited crypto was routinely auctioned.
The forfeited property stem from the prosecution of Samourai Pockets founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, who confronted fees in 2024 and 2025 tied to working a privateness centered Bitcoin mixing service. About 57 Bitcoin was forfeited as a part of their plea settlement.
Onchain knowledge from Arkham Intelligence signifies that the US authorities presently holds roughly 328,000 Bitcoin in seized and managed property as a part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, valued at about $31.2 billion at present costs close to $95,000. The Samourai-related Bitcoin kinds a part of this broader pool of government-held BTC.
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is managed by the US Treasury and is meant to carry seized Bitcoin as a long-term nationwide asset slightly than liquidating it into the market.
Editor’s notice: Up to date to incorporate particulars on US authorities Bitcoin reserves.
