Paul Atkins, chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, spoke to Fox Business on Monday. He said U.S. authorities might seize Venezuela’s reported $60 billion in Bitcoin holdings.
Reports surfaced after U.S. forces, directed by President Donald Trump, captured President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was removed to the United States to face criminal charges in New York.
Atkins said it ‘remains to be seen’ what action the U.S. would take. He also said, ‘I leave that to others in the administration to deal with — I’m not involved in that.’
Blockchain analysts and intelligence platforms had not confirmed the reported 600,000 BTC. (Ed. note: Several analysts said they were unable to verify these claims.)
The remarks came days before the Senate Banking Committee will mark up the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, or CLARITY. House members passed the bill in July, and the Senate review has been slow this year.
Banks and some crypto firms worry about the bill’s stablecoin reward provisions. Campaigning for the 2026 midterms and a possible government shutdown could delay the markup.
Venezuela previously launched an oil-backed digital currency in 2018. The country’s government had engaged with other aspects of the crypto industry.
