Catenaa, Sunday, January 11, 2026-The U.S. Department of Justice sold 57 Bitcoin forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers on November 3, 2025, despite an executive order from former President Donald Trump requiring such assets be held in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The forfeited Bitcoin, valued at $6.3 million, was transferred to a Coinbase Prime address and appears to have been fully liquidated.
Trump’s Executive Order 14233, signed March 6, 2025, directs that Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture “shall not be sold” and must be reserved for governmental purposes, except in limited statutory circumstances that do not apply in this case.
The sale follows the convictions of Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, who received five- and four-year sentences, respectively, for processing over $237 million in criminal proceeds.
Their forfeited fees were meant to be added to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under federal guidance.
The DOJ’s action marks a continued divergence from prior federal guidance. In April 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo stating that virtual currency exchanges and non-custodial wallet operators would not be targeted for end-user activities, yet SDNY prosecutors proceeded with the Samourai case.
Senator Cynthia Lummis criticized the sale, warning that the U.S. risks squandering strategic Bitcoin assets while other nations continue to accumulate them.
White House officials, including Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, said the council is reviewing the sale.
Trump has previously indicated potential pardons for crypto-related convictions, raising questions about coordination between DOJ actions and presidential intent regarding strategic digital asset reserves.
