Key Takeaways
- The US Department of Justice has confirmed that seized Bitcoin from the Samourai Wallet case will not be liquidated but will remain as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
- US government holds roughly 328,000 Bitcoin in seized assets, according to onchain data.
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Department of Justice has confirmed that Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case has not been liquidated and will remain part of the US government’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The confirmation was shared by Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, who said the assets will not be sold and will remain on the US government balance sheet under Executive Order 14233.
Concerns had emerged earlier this month after onchain analysts observed roughly $6.3 million in Bitcoin moved from a Samourai Wallet linked address to Coinbase Prime, prompting speculation that the US Marshals Service or DOJ may have sold the assets. Witt said the transfers did not represent a liquidation and were permitted under the executive order.
Executive Order 14233 was signed by Donald Trump in March 2025 and explicitly bars US agencies from selling seized Bitcoin. The order established the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, marking a shift away from prior practices where forfeited crypto was routinely auctioned.
The forfeited assets stem from the prosecution of Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, who faced charges in 2024 and 2025 tied to operating a privacy focused Bitcoin mixing service. About 57 Bitcoin was forfeited as part of their plea agreement.
Onchain data from Arkham Intelligence indicates that the US government currently holds roughly 328,000 Bitcoin in seized and controlled assets as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, valued at about $31.2 billion at current prices near $95,000. The Samourai-related Bitcoin forms part of this broader pool of government-held BTC.
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is managed by the US Treasury and is intended to hold seized Bitcoin as a long-term national asset rather than liquidating it into the market.
Editor’s note: Updated to include details on US government Bitcoin reserves.