Approximately $2 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC), which was seized by the US government in connection with the Silk Road marketplace years ago, was transferred to Coinbase Prime, the exchange's institutional trading platform.
Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence revealed that a wallet labeled “US Government: Silk Road DOJ Seized Funds” moved 19,800 BTC to a new address before depositing the funds to Coinbase Prime. The wallet had no previous transaction history, leading to speculation that the government may be preparing to sell the assets.
Historically, government-seized BTC sales have triggered significant market reactions. Earlier this year, similar sales led to sharp declines in Bitcoin prices. However, today the impact of the transfer was more subtle, with Bitcoin prices falling just over 1% to around $95,800 following the news.
Despite this transaction, the U.S. government still holds approximately $18 billion worth of confiscated cryptocurrency, according to Arkham Intelligence.
The BTC in question stems from a 2022 Department of Justice (DOJ) case in which over 50,000 BTC was seized and a Silk Road user, James Zhong, was arrested. Zhong pleaded guilty to wire fraud after authorities accused him of abusing Silk Road’s transaction system in 2012.
In November, a U.S. District Court in Northern California allowed the government to liquidate some or all of the Silk Road-related BTC while awaiting the resolution of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.
*This is not investment advice.
