The US government has confirmed that Bitcoin seized in connection with the Samourai Wallet case has not been sold and will remain under federal custody, marking a notable shift in how digital assets forfeited through law enforcement actions are handled.
The clarification dispels speculation that the holdings had already been liquidated or were scheduled for near-term sale, arriving as Bitcoin continues to trade near key psychological levels.
Key takeaways:
Seized Bitcoin linked to Samourai Wallet has not been liquidated by the US government.
The assets will be retained on the federal balance sheet rather than auctioned.
The Bitcoin will be added to the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The decision reflects a broader policy shift toward treating Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
Bitcoin added to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
According to confirmation provided by a senior official within the Trump administration, the United States Department of Justice verified that the confiscated digital assets remain intact. The determination follows an executive order that changed how certain forfeited digital assets are managed, explicitly allowing them to be held rather than sold.
UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8
— Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026
Instead of converting the seized Bitcoin into dollars, the government will transfer the assets into the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. This removes the holdings from standard liquidation procedures and positions them as long-term reserves.
At the time of the confirmation, Bitcoin was trading around $94,960, with a market capitalization close to $1.9 trillion and daily trading volume exceeding $34 billion, underscoring the scale of the asset now being treated as a strategic holding.
Policy implications extend beyond the case
Although the confirmation concerns Bitcoin forfeited from Samourai Wallet, the implications reach further. The move establishes a precedent for future digital asset seizures, signaling that forfeited Bitcoin may increasingly be treated as a sovereign reserve asset rather than a disposable byproduct of enforcement actions.
The decision aligns with a broader shift under Donald Trump’s administration toward recognizing Bitcoin’s strategic value. By choosing retention over liquidation at a time when Bitcoin remains near all-time-high territory on a weekly basis, the US government is signaling a reassessment of how digital assets fit into national reserve strategy and long-term financial planning.
