Arkham Intelligence: U.S. Government Holds at Least 198,000 BTC

The U.S. government now holds over 198,000 BTC, valued at approximately $23.5 billion, according to data from Arkham Intelligence.

This substantial Bitcoin treasury is distributed across multiple addresses linked to various federal agencies and law enforcement bodies. Notably, none of the BTC has been moved in the past four months, despite the market experiencing notable volatility during that time.

Much of this Bitcoin was accumulated through high-profile seizures. According to Arkham, $13.65 billion worth of BTC was seized from the Bitfinex hackers, making it the largest single source of the U.S. government’s Bitcoin holdings. Another $8.26 billion was confiscated from an individual known only as “Individual X”, who allegedly hacked the Silk Road marketplace in 2020. In a separate case, authorities seized $1.17 billion from James Zhong, another Silk Road-linked hacker.

The blockchain data shows major transfers from Bitfinex, Silk Road, and other confiscation points into government-controlled wallets. In one instance, nearly 19,800 BTC was moved in a single transaction tied to the Silk Road DOJ. Other notable inflows include over 73,000 BTC traced to Bitfinex wallets across several transactions.

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Interestingly, the U.S. has opted not to liquidate these assets—despite past practices of auctioning seized Bitcoin—perhaps signaling a strategic hold or delay in execution. With these holdings now representing one of the largest BTC stashes globally, any future movement could have significant implications for market dynamics.

Until then, the U.S. government’s Bitcoin wallet remains a massive, unmoved force in the broader crypto landscape.

Kosta Gushterov

Kosta has been working in the crypto industry for over 4 years. He strives to present different perspectives on a given topic and enjoys the sector for its transparency and dynamism. In his work, he focuses on balanced coverage of events and developments in the crypto space, providing information to his readers from a neutral perspective.