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The US Department of Justice has confirmed it did not sell Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case, according to a senior White House digital assets advisor. The statement aims to settle speculation that federal agencies liquidated seized Bitcoin despite a standing directive to retain such holdings in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR).
Patrick Witt, executive director of the White House President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said the DOJ confirmed the government has not liquidated the forfeited digital assets from Samourai Wallet. He also said the government will not liquidate them going forward.
The discussion focuses on approximately 57.55 BTC tied to Samourai Wallet Co-Founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill. The pair agreed to forfeit the Bitcoin under plea agreements after prosecutors charged them with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Executive Order 14233 directs agencies to place qualifying forfeited Bitcoin into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and bars sales of ‘Government BTC’ deposited into the reserve. The order assigns the Treasury Department responsibility for administering custodial accounts for the SBR and a separate digital asset stockpile for non-Bitcoin holdings.
That framework has increased scrutiny of transfers linked to government-controlled Bitcoin addresses. Analysts and industry observers have monitored on-chain activity for signs of liquidation, since sales would conflict with the executive order’s requirement to maintain Bitcoin as reserve assets.
Questions resurfaced after observers flagged a transfer of about 57.5 BTC from a U.S. government-controlled address to a Coinbase Prime deposit address. Some reports interpreted the movement as a step toward liquidation, which triggered criticism that agencies may have acted outside the White House directive.
The US Marshals Service denied that it sold the Bitcoin referenced in the reports. In comments cited by multiple outlets, the agency said it had not sold the Bitcoin and noted that crypto liquidations require approvals and must follow applicable rules under Executive Order 14233.
The incident has also renewed attention on the size and management of the US government's Bitcoin holdings. Industry trackers estimate the US government holds more than 328,000 BTC, although totals can shift as cases conclude and agencies reconcile custodial accounts.
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