White House crypto guru Patrick Witt just slammed the brakes on rumors, no, DOJ ain’t dumping that forfeited Samourai Wallet Bitcoin.
A shady 57.5 BTC hop to Coinbase Prime lit market fuses last November. Witt got straight DOJ word, no liquidation, no plans, all headed to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
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Samourai Bitcoin Transfer Fuels Fire, Then… Fizzles
Blockchain sleuths spotted the 57.5 BTC shuffle from a gov wallet, screaming sale vibes.
Traders howled violation of Trump’s March Executive Order 14233, that says keep all seized BTC for the national stockpile, no fire sales. US Marshals fingered, panic spread.
Witt’s X blast Friday nuked it, assets safe, DOJ confirmed. Uncle Sam sits on 328,372 BTC per Bitcoin Treasuries, $31 billion chunk at today’s prices. Toss in 127,271 BTC from a Cambodian pig-butchering scam bust last October.
UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR. https://t.co/v2GchC3vk8
— Patrick Witt (@patrickjwitt) January 16, 2026
And don’t forget the 2022 FTX corpse pile-up, where feds grabbed 50,000+ BTC worth billions, held tight amid market meltdown instead of dumping to spook prices.
Or Germany’s 2024 blunder, axed 50,000 BTC for peanuts at $55K lows, missing $2.3 billion gains by year’s end.
DOJ’s hold plays smart, bulks Strategic Bitcoin Reserve like a digital Fort Knox, dodging taxpayer hits while cycles brew. Policy push eyes 1 million BTC in five years via Cynthia Lummis’ budget-neutral bill.
Samourai Free Speech Firestorm Brews
Social media buzzes with code-is-speech rants, so Samourai ban tramples First Amendment, they yell, since software’s just words. From that angle, seized Bitcoin ain’t forfeited spoils.
Nope, it’s straight-up theft by feds. But devs and fans allegedly egged US people to dodge regs, a red flag waving bigger than coin mixing, whispers say.
So the open question still hangs, we’re talking about legit privacy play or rule-breaker bait?
Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Gets Real Juice
Witt pushes Treasury-Commerce sync to iron kinks. Trump’s crew prioritizes stacking sats, no sales, and legislative gears grind for Lummis’ hoard plan, aka grab big without wallet drain.
Samourai drama simmers. Devs Keonne Rodriguez and Hill jailed November for laundering $237 million via privacy wallet.
Forfeit $6.3 million fees. Trump teased pardon in December Oval chit-chat, siccing AG Pam Bondi on review. But Rodriguez calls it Biden-era lawfare BS.
DOJ Stance Shifts Crypto Game
Gov’s massive BTC war chest, world’s top holder, sends signals, and no-dump policy mocks panic sellers. Witt’s clarity cools nerves, spotlights reserve buildup amid Trump 2.0 vibes.
It’s pretty suprising, but it looks like feds flipped from auction junkies to HODL whales. Worth keeping an eye on that pardon play, because it could flip privacy coin tales upside down.
Disclosure:This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
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Cryptocurrency and Web3 expert, founder of Kriptoworld
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With years of experience covering the blockchain space, András delivers insightful reporting on DeFi, tokenization, altcoins, and crypto regulations shaping the digital economy.
📅 Published: January 18, 2026 • 🕓 Last updated: January 18, 2026
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