Bitcoin Seized From Samourai Wallet Has Not Been Sold, White House Says
Nearly $6.4 million in Bitcoin seized from Samourai Wallet’s founders remains unliquidated and will be added to the federal government’s Bitcoin reserve, according to the White House. This move follows concerns that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would liquidate the seized assets, contradicting a March 2025 executive order by President Trump establishing a federal Bitcoin reserve. Despite a prior agreement seemingly authorizing liquidation, the DOJ confirmed that the digital assets will be retained as part of the U.S. government’s strategic Bitcoin reserve. Samourai Wallet’s developers, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitter and are serving prison sentences. The case has attracted significant attention from the crypto and privacy communities, as well as scrutiny over the DOJ's actions and the prospects of a presidential pardon, which remain uncertain. Some allies remain skeptical about the DOJ’s transparency in handling the forfeited Bitcoin.
