Public records requests have exposed significant gaps in transparency regarding the U.S. government’s substantial Bitcoin holdings accumulated through criminal seizures. While a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) response confirmed the U.S. Marshals Service holds 28,988 BTC, this figure represents merely 15% of the nearly 198,000 BTC currently controlled by federal agencies nationwide.
Multiple law enforcement bodies including the FBI, IRS, and DEA hold undisclosed Bitcoin reserves beyond the Marshal Service’s disclosed amount. Major seizures contributing to the 198,000 BTC treasury include 114,599 BTC from the Bitfinex hack investigation and 94,643 BTC confiscated in Silk Road-related cases, as documented by blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence.
The opacity stems from non-standardized disclosure practices and ambiguities in ownership tracking across agencies. Despite FOIA requests serving as the primary transparency mechanism, comprehensive accounting remains elusive due to jurisdictional fragmentation and inconsistent reporting protocols.
With holdings valued at approximately $23.5 billion, the government’s unreported BTC reserves represent a substantial but largely obscured market force. Arkham Intelligence’s on-chain analysis provides crucial independent verification of the totality, confirming holdings remain steady at around 198,000 BTC. This substantial position continues to warrant market scrutiny as the digital assets sector evolves.