A wallet linked to convicted Irish drug dealer Clifton Collins has moved approximately $35 million in Bitcoin to Coinbase Custody. The transaction, flagged by Arkham Intelligence, has sparked speculation over who now controls the assets. While authorities may have seized part of the fortune, the identity of the party executing the transfer remains unclear.
A cryptocurrency wallet associated with Irish drug dealer Clifton Collins has transferred $35 million in Bitcoin to Coinbase Custody. The move confirms the digital fortune, which Collins once believed was lost, is now actively controlled.
Collins, identified by Arkham Intel as the world’s seventh-richest on-chain individual, purchased around 6,000 BTC in 2011 and 2012. He was jailed in 2017, and his landlord cleared his apartment, discarding a piece of paper containing his private keys that was hidden inside a fishing rod.
The recent transaction makes it unlikely the Bitcoin is permanently lost. It suggests someone has obtained access to Collins’ substantial cryptocurrency stash.
Several theories exist regarding who now controls the assets. Some reports indicate the Irish police, the Criminal Assets Bureau, and Europol may have seized part of the fortune.
The Gardaí confirmed the seizure of “approximately €30 million in cryptocurrency,” which aligns with data showing 500 BTC moving from Collins’ wallet. It is also possible Collins, now out of prison, retained a copy of the private keys.
Alternatively, a reported break-in at his house in 2020 may have been an attempt to find his Bitcoin keys. The exact purpose and executor of the $35 million transfer to Coinbase Custody have not been clarified.
