Over the past decade, the U.S. federal government sold approximately 195,000 Bitcoin, potentially missing significant profits had the assets been retained.
History of U.S. Bitcoin Sales
Since 2013, the U.S. government began seizing bitcoin, with the FBI’s confession of 11 BTC marking the first case. In total, around 195,000 BTC have been confiscated. The sales occurred 11 times, with 173,000 BTC sold by November 2015 in four major transactions.
Impact on Taxpayers
According to an analysis conducted by Elon Musk-backed Grok AI, the U.S. could have made $17 billion if the bitcoins had not been sold. White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks notes that taxpayers lost significant returns due to a lack of a long-term strategy.
Possible Reserve Strategy
Reports suggest that the Trump administration is considering forming a cryptocurrency reserve. In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order for developing BTC reserve legislation, sparking industry hopes for economic growth.
The ongoing discussion about forming a U.S. crypto reserve may lead to a new approach in managing digital assets, potentially maximizing the cryptocurrency's potential benefits for the country.
