FOIA Fiasco: US Marshals’ Bitcoin Mystery Deepens – Where’s the Other 170,000 BTC?

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//branch.wallet.bitcoin.com/news-contextual-btc”>BTC

, worth about $3.44 billion as of July 2025. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists are warming up their keyboards, as many folks suspect the U.S. government is hoarding an impressive stash of around 200,000 BTC. Now, someone pass the popcorn! 🎬

Independent Journalist Drops FOIA Bombshell on the Bitcoin Status Quo

There’s a certain breed of skepticism floating around regarding the U.S. government’s claim of holding 198,012 BTC, as tracked by blockchain sleuths like Arkham Intelligence. Why the doubt? Well, it may have something to do with the antics of one @L0laL33tz, an independent journalist who mapped out this curious tale with a report on The Rage. The plot thickens! 🕵️‍♂️

Source: @L0laL33tz via X.

//branch.wallet.bitcoin.com/news-contextual-btc”>BTC

.” What a number! 💰

Now, historically speaking, the USMS has been the go-to gang for auctioning off seized crypto stuff—mostly good ol’ bitcoin—on behalf of various federal agencies like the FBI, IRS, and, of course, the Department of Justice (DOJ). But this newly unearthed figure raises intriguing questions. Where’s the rest, government friends? 🤔

Source: @L0laL33tz published on The Rage.

//branch.wallet.bitcoin.com/news-contextual-btc”>BTC

post haste! Another wise soul, chiming in on the thread, stated, “Arkham tracks the wallets onchain, so why all the conspiracy chatter?” Hey, calm down, folks – it’s not a government conspiracy unless it’s a government conspiracy, right? 😂

Source: Arkham Intelligence’s flagged U.S. government wallets.

In the grand casino of federal agencies, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and U.S. Secret Service routinely seize bitcoin connected to criminal escapades—think Silk Road and the infamous Bitfinex hack, just for starters. They send these assets to the USMS, who holds onto them until they’re auctioned, but who knows what assets are still under “lock and key” pending some legal wizardry?

To spice things up, the U.S. government decided to play house with third-party custodians like Coinbase and Anchorage Digital to manage those seized cryptocurrencies because, you know, why not? The USMS struck a deal with Coinbase in 2024 to keep their digital assets cozy. Any bets on how many of these coins are off the books? 🤷‍♂️

Ultimately, revealing the elusive truth about how much BTC Uncle Sam truly has feels like trying to figure out whose turn it is to buy snacks for Friday movie night: everyone’s got a guess, but no one really knows. Without a crystal-clear, blockchain-verified audit—something akin to a financial magic show—no one can say for sure how much bitcoin the government has stuffed under its mattress. A proof-of-reserves would be like an invitation to trust, especially given the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) executive order trotted out by President Donald Trump. Who doesn’t love a little transparency, right? 🥳

To add to the delightful chaos, Coindesk reported earlier this year that the USMS simply can’t keep track of its BTC stash. “If I had to guess, they’re managing it all with individual keystrokes in an Excel spreadsheet,” jested Chip Borman, vice president of capture strategy and proposals at Addx Corporation. “They’re just one bad day away from a billion-dollar mistake,” he warned, and honestly, that sounds like a Friday at the office! 😱

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2025-07-17 01:50