The U.S. Treasury has officially announced that all confiscated Bitcoin will be incorporated into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
In response to inquiries regarding the government’s stance on Bitcoin and recent BTC seizures, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated that there will be a cessation of all sales of seized BTC, with plans to integrate these assets into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR).
During an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bessent shared insights with journalist Christine Lee about this initiative being part of a broader strategy aimed at fostering digital asset innovation within the United States while ensuring federal oversight over confiscated cryptocurrencies.
This statement arises amidst concerns surrounding how authorities are managing BTC taken from developers associated with Tornado Cash in New York’s Southern District and those linked to Samourai Wallet.
Although Bessent refrained from discussing ongoing legal matters, he made it clear that any seized BTC would remain under federal control after resolving legal issues rather than being auctioned off as was customary in previous years.
“The policy of this administration is to incorporate seized Bitcoin into our digital asset reserve,” stated Bessent, marking a significant step towards implementing the SBR by halting all sales.
BREAKING:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remarked, “This government’s policy is to add seized #Bitcoin to our digital asset reserve.”
pic.twitter.com/e6X2D4peSv— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) January 20, 2026
The Strategic Reserve was established following an executive order issued in March 2025 and regards Bitcoin as a vital long-term strategic resource similar to gold or oil reserves.
Bessent also framed this innovative approach as one promoting both progress and domestic growth within financial technology sectors.
The Treasury aims for America to become “the most favorable regulatory environment for digital assets,” referencing bipartisan initiatives like the Genius Act which formalizes stablecoin regulations at a national level.
No Sales Reported for Samourai Wallet’s Confiscated Bitcoins
Recently, U.S. officials dismissed claims suggesting that forfeited BTC from Samourai Wallet developers had been sold off; they confirmed these assets will stay within the confines of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) per Executive Order 14233.
Patrick Witt from President’s Council of Advisors on Digital Assets mentioned that according to confirmations from the Department of Justice, approximately 57.55 BTC valued around $6.3 million has neither been liquidated nor planned for liquidation in future transactions.
This clarification followed earlier reports indicating potential transfers by U.S. Marshals Service which might have sent this BTC amount over to Coinbase Prime—a move raising concerns about possible violations against existing executive orders prohibiting such actions without proper holding protocols in place.
<p Journalist Frank Corva noted indications suggesting that U.S. Marshals may have indeed directed those specific bitcoins directly toward a Coinbase Prime address which displayed no balance—implying they could have already been sold off contrary even if just speculatively inferred based on account activity records available publicly online.
If accurate this transaction would breach Executive Order number14233 mandating forfeited bitcoin remain secured exclusively under supervision through US strategic reserves instead being subject open market liquidation practices previously seen elsewhere .
This article titled “U.S.Treasury Confirms That All Seized Bitcoins Will Join The Strategic BitCoin Reserves” originally appeared via publication outlet named ‘Bitcoin Magazine’ authored by Micah Zimmerman.