Chiara Bianchi
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) currently holds just over 28,988 BTC, valued at nearly $3.4 billion as of March — a figure significantly lower than many public estimates, according to documents released via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by independent crypto journalist L0la L33tz.
The disclosure came in a letter from the Department of Justice, contradicting platforms like Arkham, which suggest the U.S. government holds roughly $25 billion in digital assets across multiple federal agencies. Similarly, Bitcoin Treasuries had estimated the total at 198,012 BTC.
Lack of Transparency Clouds Federal Crypto Holdings
Pinpointing exactly how much cryptocurrency is held by U.S. government bodies remains difficult due to the fragmented nature of agency operations, a lack of centralized databases, and the often confidential nature of crypto seizures by agencies like the FBI or IRS. The USMS typically manages and auctions crypto assets seized during criminal investigations.
L33tz, the founder of The Rage crypto publication, filed the FOIA request in March at the request of Bitcoin Magazine Chair David Bailey, who offered a $10,000 bounty for confirming the actual amount of crypto held by the federal government. She received the official response earlier this week.
Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Recent Executive Orders
Former President Donald Trump had previously supported the idea of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, directing federal agencies to transfer digital asset holdings to the U.S. Treasury Department under a March executive order. The directive also introduced a new U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, aimed at managing non-BTC assets acquired through civil or criminal forfeiture cases.
David Sacks, Trump’s appointed crypto advisor, outlined “budget-neutral” acquisition strategies for increasing the government’s crypto reserves — signaling a potential shift in how the U.S. might treat digital assets on a national level.
Strategic Misstep or Miscommunication?
The revelation that U.S. authorities may have sold off more than 80% of their bitcoin reserves sparked backlash from pro-crypto politicians.
“I’m alarmed by reports that the U.S. has sold off over 80% of its Bitcoin reserves—leaving just ~29,000 coins,” said Senator Cynthia Lummis in a recent X post. “If true, this is a total strategic blunder and sets the United States back years in the bitcoin race.”
