- The US government sent 8,428 BTC to Coinbase Prime on Wednesday, its largest one-day outflow since December 2, 2024.
- With 834 BTC on Tuesday, the two-day total reached 9,261 BTC, worth ~$770 million.
- Galaxy Research says 2,456 BTC of it came from previously unknown holdings it now assumes were seizures.
The US government transferred 8,428 BTC to Coinbase Prime on Wednesday, its largest single-day outflow of bitcoin since December 2, 2024, Galaxy Research data showed. This outflow ranks ninth among all days since 2013.
Another 834 BTC moved on Tuesday. The two-day total reaches 9,261 BTC, worth ~$770 million.
Galaxy flagged 2,456 coins from previously unknown holdings
Galaxy said almost half the bitcoins were recovered from the Bitfinex hackers. Known Binance seizures supplied another portion.
Galaxy’s flow chart shows three Bitfinex recovery wallets sent 4,239 BTC, and two wallets of exchange-surrendered seizures sent 1,227 BTC. The other 3,796 BTC were sent from five wallets with no public label, including 2,456 BTC from a single address.
“But 2,456 BTC came from previously unknown holdings, which we now assume were USG seizures because they deposited into the USG Coinbase Prime deposit address,” Galaxy Research wrote on X.
With each sender, it’s the same modus operandi. First, a modest test amount went to the deposit address, the rest to a one-time address that was swept into it a block later.
Next, in one to three blocks, Coinbase Prime moved the coins into its own wallets. The deposit address went live in December 2025 and has taken in 11,567 BTC since then.
Known government wallets furnished 6,406 BTC of it. About 5,160 BTC came from senders without a government label, using the same deposit process since April.
Lubian and Bitfinex cases tie up 71% of the federal stockpile
Galaxy’s tally now stands at 319,086 BTC, versus Washington’s wallets, which held 352,587 BTC at their August 13, 2024, high. Galaxy says 71% of that balance is not settled government property.
Chen Zhi’s Lubian case accounts for 127,271 BTC. The DOJ filed for civil forfeiture of those coins in October 2025. There’s also 94,643 BTC from the Bitfinex hack of 2016. When Galaxy published, the main wallet still hadn’t moved.
A federal judge signed off in January 2025 on handing them back to Bitfinex.
Coinbase Prime holds and trades seized assets for the US Marshals Service. A deposit there doesn’t confirm a sale.
President Donald Trump’s March 6, 2025, executive order states that bitcoin deposited into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve “shall not be sold.” It still permits assets to be released under a court order or for return to identifiable and verifiable victims of crime.
Samourai Wallet’s 57.55 BTC arrived at a Coinbase Prime address on November 3, 2025, and the address soon registered zero. In January, the White House said the DOJ had confirmed those coins were never liquidated.
The government transferred 2.438 BTC seized from Glenn Olivio to a Coinbase account in April, Cryptopolitan reported.
Galaxy’s books show 6,134 government transactions since 2013. Leaving out internal shuffles, 555,260 BTC came in, and 236,173 BTC went out.
Between 2013 and 2015, the US Marshals auctioned Silk Road coins. Since 2020, the government has seized far more than it has sold.
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FAQs
How much Bitcoin did the US government move and when?
About 834 BTC moved on Tuesday and 8,428 BTC on Wednesday, a total of 9,261 BTC worth ~$770 million.
Does moving the Bitcoin to Coinbase Prime mean the government is selling it?
Not necessarily, because Coinbase Prime holds seized assets for the US Marshals Service and a deposit there doesn't confirm a sale.
What are the "mystery" coins Galaxy found?
They are 2,456 BTC from previously unknown holdings, which Galaxy assumes are seizures because they went to the government's deposit address.
Disclaimer. The information provided is not trading advice. Cryptopolitan.com holds no liability for any investments made based on the information provided on this page. We strongly recommend independent research and/or consultation with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.
Randa Moses
Randa Moses is an editor and reporter at Cryptopolitan covering tech, AI, robotics, crypto, scams, and hacks. She has worked in the crypto space since 2017. She held roles at Forward Protocol, AmaZix, and Cryptosomniac. Randa holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Bradford.
