U.S. Bitcoin holdings rise to 327,000 BTC amid legal uncertainty
Following a record-breaking seizure by the U.S. Department of Justice this week of 127,271 BTC worth $15 billion, some sources report that the U.S. government now controls 327,000 BTC, making it the second-largest holder of “digital gold.” However, other analysts remain skeptical of this figure.
The seizure — the largest in Bitcoin’s history — targeted assets belonging to Chen Zhi, head of the Prince Group, an international criminal organization based in Cambodia, and has drawn significant attention from the crypto community.
Before this event, Arkham Intelligence estimated that the U.S. government held 198,000 BTC based on blockchain data. Soon after the news broke, several social media accounts with large followings claimed the U.S. now possesses between 325,000 and 327,000 BTC.
Still, some digital asset experts have pointed out discrepancies in the wording of reports regarding the seizure of the Cambodian conglomerate’s bitcoins — particularly whether the assets are “owned” or merely “held” by the U.S. authorities.
Fate of Cambodia’s Bitcoins remains unclear
The Department of Justice may recommend returning the seized bitcoins to the victims of crimes committed by the Prince Group — similar to its 2024 recommendation to return 94,643 BTC seized from the Bitfinex hackers.However, the U.S. has yet to return the Bitfinex bitcoins, and there is still no precedent for restitution to victims.
Uncertainty deepened after Donald Trump’s March 6, 2025 executive order, which established the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and prohibited the sale of bitcoins held by the federal government. It remains unclear whether coins eligible for restitution could be classified or used as part of this strategic reserve.
Regarding the total BTC held by the U.S. government, transparency remains limited. While blockchain visibility is a core principle of Bitcoin, legal ambiguity persists. Many circulating estimates of U.S. Bitcoin reserves are based on Arkham Intelligence data, which as of publication indicated that 325,447 BTC are currently under U.S. control.
As we wrote, U.S. DOJ seeks $15B Bitcoin forfeiture from Prince Group founder
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