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.
- Executive Order 14233 prohibits the sale of seized Bitcoin, ensuring it stays on the US government’s balance sheet.
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The 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, according to Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets.
Witt stated via his official X account that the digital assets “will not be liquidated, per EO 14233” and “will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR.”
The confirmation addresses concerns that arose earlier this month when on-chain analysts observed approximately $6.3 million in Bitcoin being moved from the Samourai Wallet address to Coinbase Prime, raising questions about whether the US Marshals Service and DOJ may have sold the assets in potential violation of Executive Order 14233.
Signed by President Trump in March 2025, EO 14233 prohibits government agencies from selling seized Bitcoin.
The forfeited assets stem from the prosecution of Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, who faced charges in 2024 and 2025 related to operating a privacy mixer service. Roughly 57 BTC was forfeited as part of their plea deal.
The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is managed by the Treasury and designed to hold Bitcoin as a permanent national asset rather than auctioning seized crypto as previous administrations had done.
