$75 Billion In Crypto Up For Grabs For Governments Eyeing Strategic Reserves

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There is over $75 billion worth of cryptocurrencies tied to illicit activity up for grabs for the U.S. and other governments seeking to build a strategic reserve from asset forfeitures, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 9, citing data from blockchain analytics company Chainalysis.

“This brings asset forfeiture potential to a completely different level to what we’ve seen in the past,” Chainalysis CEO Jonathan Levin told Bloomberg. “It does change how countries think about that.”

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The $75 billion flagged by Chainalysis includes $15 billion worth of cryptocurrencies held by illicit entities and $60 billion held by wallets downstream of those entities, which have received up to 10% of their funds from illicit entities.

Darkweb marketplace vendors and administrators, who have been targets for previous significant seizures, hold over $40 billion in cryptocurrencies, Chainalysis said.

Bitcoin accounts for 75% of the total illicit funds, with Ethereum and stablecoins making up the remainder, Chainalysis said.

According to Chainalysis, the funds directly held by illicit entities have grown by 359% over the past five years. The balances of wallets held downstream of these illicit entities are also increasing at a staggering rate, Chainalysis said. The company said darknet marketplace admin and vendor wallets have a compound annual growth rate of over 200%. This trend, while not positive for users, could support the sustainability of asset forfeiture as a funding model for national strategic reserves.

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The U.S. already appears to be taking advantage. The Department of Justice on Oct. 14 filed for the forfeiture of 127,271 BTC worth approximately $15 billion tied to a cryptocurrency investment fraud syndicate.

The move could boost the Bitcoin strategic reserve funded by forfeited assets that President Donald Trumpestablished in March. Before the recent forfeiture filing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said that the U.S. held $15 billion to $20 billion in forfeited Bitcoin.

Following Trump’s March executive order, the big question has been whether the U.S. would become an active buyer of Bitcoin. The order directs the Commerce and Treasury secretaries to add to the strategic reserve using “budget-neutral” strategies.

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Bitcoin proponent Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) has stirred hopes by stating earlier this month that the U.S. can start funding its strategic reserve “anytime.”

Lummis is spearheading a legislative effort to establish the strategic reserve at the central bank level with her bill, the Boosting Innovation, Technology, Act and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide Act of 2025.

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This article $75 Billion In Crypto Up For Grabs For Governments Eyeing Strategic Reserves originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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