These fed’s crypto funds, seized in criminal cases, hadn’t budged since a move involving nearly 200 ether and thousands of ANT a month earlier. Following this latest transaction, government wallets still hold about 188,309 BTC, worth an estimated $18.12 billion.
The Bitcoin blockchain transfer offered no privacy, with Blockchair’s tool scoring it zero out of 100. Reasons included matched addresses, co-spending, and the near roundness of the value. Sending the funds cost the government a mere 3,440 satoshis—or $3.34.
The 19,799.989 BTC originated from a Bech32 address, landing in another Bech32 wallet. A test transaction pointed to Coinbase Prime, making it likely the $1.92 billion ended up with the San Francisco-based exchange. This significant movement coincides with chatter about a potential U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve.
With Donald Trump set to take office in January, his administration may advance the idea, already championed in Congress by Senator Cynthia Lummis. For now, the reasons for shifting nearly 20,000 BTC remain unclear, and speculation about whether the funds were sold continues. Bitcoin’s value dipped a percentage point in the wake of the news struggling to hold the $95,000 zone.
