On November 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) allegedly sold 57.55 Bitcoin through the Coinbase Prime platform, sparking debate within both the legal and blockchain technology communities in the U.S. This decision was seen as potentially conflicting directly with Executive Order 14233, which remains in effect and requires all Bitcoin seized by federal agencies to be transferred to the National Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, rather than sold on the market.
What particularly concerns experts is the DOJ's decision to liquidate the aforementioned Bitcoin, while the general spirit of the new US government policy is to treat Bitcoin as a long-term strategic asset, similar to gold or other national reserve assets. This inconsistency raises serious questions about how law enforcement agencies are interpreting and applying digital asset management policies, especially in the context of the Trump administration's repeated emphasis on Bitcoin's strategic Vai in national financial security and America's global competitiveness.
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The origin of the 57.55 BTC also adds to the sensitivity of the case. This Bitcoin stems from a plea agreement in November 2025 between Keonne Rodriguez and William “Bill” Lonergan Hill, the two developers behind Samourai Wallet, a Bitcoin wallet heavily focused on privacy. In the agreement with federal prosecutors, the two individuals agreed to forfeit a total of 57.55 BTC related to charges of conspiracy to violate the law. Subsequently, the DOJ directed the US Marshals Service to sell the seized Bitcoin through Coinbase Prime, instead of transferring it to a reserve as stipulated in the executive order.
