Report Shows US Marshals Storing Only 28,988 Bitcoins, a Noticeable Drop from Originally Estimated 200,000 Bitcoins
In a recent development, the U.S. government's Bitcoin holdings have been revised following the disclosure of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) report. The report, released in 2025, reveals that the total amount of Bitcoin currently held by all U.S. government agencies, including the FBI and DEA under the U.S. Marshals Service, is approximately 28,988 BTC.
This figure is significantly lower than the previously estimated 200,000 BTC, marking an 85% decrease in the assumed total. The U.S. Marshals Service, historically responsible for managing seized Bitcoin assets from various agencies, holds the majority of these Bitcoins.
The revised figure corrects the misconception of a massive federal Bitcoin stockpile. It is important to note that the earlier estimate included Bitcoin under custody or related to cases but not considered property of the government. Some of these bitcoins may have to be returned to creditors and are therefore not held as government assets.
The FOIA disclosures suggest that the previously assumed massive stockpile is not correct, and the actual government Bitcoin reserve is only about 15% of those earlier claims. The figure of 28,988 Bitcoin, valued at around $3.4 billion as of March 2025, has sparked public concern about whether the U.S. has liquidated over 85% of its holdings.
Senator Cynthia Lummis has raised questions about past U.S. Bitcoin sales, expressing concerns that offloading a significant portion of U.S. Bitcoin holdings could impact the nation's strategic position in the global digital asset space. Lummis also warns that the sale of more than 80% of U.S.-held Bitcoin may undermine the country's long-term crypto interests.
The ongoing legislative developments regarding digital assets in the U.S. are significant. The GENIUS Act, supported by Donald Trump, seeks to advance digital asset use in government policy. If passed, it could position the U.S. to adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in new ways, potentially affecting national debt management strategies.
As Bitcoin recently reached an all-time high of $123,000, the value of the U.S. Marshals Service's Bitcoin holdings continues to grow. The debate about the U.S. government's current Bitcoin reserves is expected to continue, with the FOIA disclosure serving as a catalyst for further discussions and transparency in government asset management.
[1] Source: CoinDesk, 2025 [2] Source: Forbes, 2025 [3] Source: The Hill, 2025 [4] Source: Reuters, 2025
The revised figure of 28,988 Bitcoin, worth around $3.4 billion as of March 2025, reveals a significant decrease in the U.S. government's estimated Bitcoin holdings, suggesting that the actual government reserve is only about 15% of the previously claimed amount. This discovery has sparked debate and concerns about the potential sale of over 85% of U.S. Bitcoin holdings, with Senator Cynthia Lummis raising questions about its impact on the nation's strategic position in the crypto finance sector.
