Article:
Data from Arkham Intelligence reveals that the United States government retains more than 198,000 Bitcoin, valued at around $23.4 billion, distributed across multiple government agencies.
A publicly accessible spreadsheet recently listed only 28,988.356 BTC under the control of the Marshals Service. However, including Bitcoin seized by the FBI, IRS, DEA, and the Justice Department significantly increases the total.
Bitcoin Reserves Distributed Among Federal Agencies
According to records from the Marshals Service, 28,988.356 BTC—equivalent to approximately $3.45 billion—has been in its custody since July 15, 2025.
Other agencies do not disclose their holdings publicly, as they manage coins obtained from criminal investigations and auctions. Arkham utilized on-chain data to connect addresses to specific agencies, revealing a total of at least 198,012 BTC.
DID THE US GOVERNMENT JUST SELL 170,000 BTC ($20 BILLION)?
No. A Freedom of Information Act response from the US Marshals Service shows they hold 28,988 BTC ($3.4B), but other US Government entities like the FBI also seize and retain Bitcoin… https://t.co/8kpjwyKcT9 pic.twitter.com/uB7EejUCVz
— Arkham (@arkham) July 23, 2025
In simple terms, the US government is a significant Bitcoin “whale,” holding about 198,000 BTC. These holdings extend beyond the Marshals Service.
The remaining Bitcoin is dispersed across various undisclosed locations, remaining untouched for four months. The limited figures from the Marshals Service initially caused concern among traders.
Senator Cynthia Lummis warned that reducing reserves below 30,000 BTC would be a “strategic mistake.”
Arkham: The US Government currently possesses at least 198,000 BTC ($23.5B) across various addresses managed by different government divisions. These assets have remained static for 4 months. pic.twitter.com/nhWWeWqhmh
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 24, 2025
Major Seizures Contribute to Holdings
A substantial portion of the Bitcoin, 114,599 BTC, was seized in connection with the 2016 Bitfinex hack involving Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, valued at over $13.65 billion.
Seizures linked to the Silk Road include about 94,643 BTC, comprising 51,680 BTC from James Zhong’s theft and 69,370 BTC tied to another hacker, known as “Individual X.”
Other notable seizures include $81.25 million in BTC from Alameda Research’s Binance accounts following the FTX collapse and $79.50 million from HashFlare scammers Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin. Smaller amounts, like 58.7 BTC from Ryan Farace’s case, also appear in the records.
Sales Leave Core Holdings Intact
The US government sold 9,861 BTC valued at approximately $215 million in March 2023 from the Zhong case. Subsequently, in August 2024, another 10,000 BTC were sold for $594 million.
In December 2024, an additional 10,000 BTC were sold for around $968 million. Despite these sales, the primary reserves from Bitfinex and Silk Road remain untouched, stored where they were initially seized.
Lacking a single public ledger, each new information release fuels rumors. Some traders reacted to the Marshals’ figures, causing market fluctuations.
Awareness of the true holding of 198,000 BTC could stabilize the situation. A centralized, real-time updated dashboard would mitigate market volatility during auctions.
Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
