A White House crypto adviser said the Department of Justice confirmed no Bitcoin seized in the Samourai Wallet case was sold, and the coins will remain in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Patrick Witt posted the DOJ confirmation on X on Friday, citing Executive Order 14233 that bars sale of forfeited digital assets.
“We have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated,” Witt wrote.
The issue began in November after blockchain analysts flagged a 57.5 Bitcoin transfer from a U.S. government-controlled address to a Coinbase Prime deposit address. The transfer prompted accusations that the U.S. Marshals Service had violated the executive order.
Data shows the U.S. government now holds about 328,372 Bitcoin, valued at roughly $31.3 billion. That total includes 127,271 Bitcoin forfeited in October from a Cambodia-based company tied to a so-called pig butchering investment scheme.
In an interview, Witt said building out the reserve remains a priority and will advance once the Treasury and Commerce departments resolve legal details (in an interview). (Ed. note: a proposed bill backed by Senator Cynthia Lummis aims to accumulate one million Bitcoin over five years.)
