According to data from blockchain analytics firm Arkham, the U.S. government transferred approximately $1 billion in bitcoin originally associated with a 2016 Bitfinex exchange breach to two new, unlabelled digital wallets on Thursday. The coins, represented here with a displayed value of $80,782.13 per unit, are valued at roughly $1.01 billion total. The movement occurred from a wallet holding previously seized funds, then shifted to separate addresses before a subsequent transaction diverted assets elsewhere. Notably, no cash deposits were recorded during these transfers—a sequence more characteristic of an inventory reorganization rather than a commercial sale.
The transactions took place after significant exchange‑related activity 24 hours earlier, when about 3,200 bitcoin (roughly $264 million) and $119 million in USDT were deposited into Coinbase Prime accounts. Those incoming funds originated from wallets previously linked to the FTX/Alameda and Bitfinex freezes, as identified by Arkham. Earlier coverage from CoinDesk highlighted comparable patterns during this period, including over $100 million in bitcoin and BNB moving similarly at other exchanges.
The presence of funds entering Coinbase Prime does not automatically signal a sale, since the platform offers custodial services. A March 2025 executive order earmarked forfeited cryptocurrency for inclusion in a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, explicitly prohibiting resale. Current estimates indicate the U.S. agency still controls approximately $25.5 billion in crypto holdings.
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