How Much Bitcoin Does US Government Hold?

A successful Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request confirmed that the US Marshals Service currently holds just 28,988 Bitcoin (BTC).

It is a far cry from the widely assumed 200,000+ BTC figure, with the confirmation triggering a political backlash amid pressing questions about America’s long-term Bitcoin strategy.

US Government Slammed for Selling Strategic Bitcoin Holdings

As of this writing, Bitcoin was trading for $118,493, up a modest 0.2% in the last 24 hours. The government’s holdings are valued at approximately $3.43 billion at these rates. This is far lower than the $23.5 billion that blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence estimated.

The data, confirmed via FOIA by crypto advocate and investigator L0la L33tz, challenges earlier reports and assumptions that the US had maintained a substantial reserve of seized Bitcoin, often auctioned off after law enforcement takedowns of darknet markets and fraud operations.

The FOIA request dates back to March 2025, with the US Marshals Service responding in July. The response included a detailed accounting of Bitcoin holdings—28,988.35643016 BTC, to be exact—but no mention of recent large-scale auctions.

This suggests these coins reflect the agency’s current full inventory, as of July 17, 2025.

Bitcoin Advocates and Politicians Address Market Impact with Strategic Questions

Crypto industry leaders and pro-Bitcoin lawmakers were swift to react. One of Washington’s most outspoken crypto supporters, Senator Cynthia Lummis, slammed the government, calling them out for a Strategic blunder.

The disclosure also reignited a light-hearted yet revealing challenge issued by Bitcoin Magazine CEO David Bailey in March.

The crypto executive had publicly offered a $10,000 reward to any journalist who could obtain official confirmation of the US government’s BTC holdings.

With Bitcoin trading around new highs, some market analysts see the sell-off as inadvertently bullish. Ran Neuner, host of Crypto Banter, said the retreat in government-owned Bitcoin could remove a major source of selling pressure.

“If the US sold off most of its Bitcoin and the price is still at $120K, can you imagine what happens now that they aren’t selling?” Neuner remarked.

The remark addresses the sentiment that fewer coins in government hands could mean more market freedom, particularly from state-triggered liquidation events.

Yet the broader concern lingers. With other countries like El Salvador doubling down on Bitcoin and institutions like Japan’s Metaplanet ramping up portfolios, critics say the US is overlooking a geopolitical opportunity.

The FOIA transparency is welcome, but the lack of a coordinated Strategic Bitcoin Reserve policy could economically and technologically cost America in the years ahead. Countries such as Bulgaria may already be looking back with regret after selling 213,500 BTC in 2017, enough to clear its national debt by 2025.