Former SEC commissioner noncommittal on seizing Venezuela's alleged BTC reserves

Former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Paul Atkins has taken a noncommittal stance on whether the U.S. might seize Bitcoin allegedly held in reserve by Venezuela, Cointelegraph reported. Speaking with Fox Business, Atkins addressed reports that Venezuela holds up to $60 billion in BTC. He stated that while he could not confirm the reports' authenticity, it remains to be seen what action the U.S. would take if an opportunity for seizure arose. Speculation about a 'secret vault' of BTC and USDT, allegedly used by Venezuela to evade international sanctions, intensified after the U.S. indicted President Nicolás Maduro. While some have suggested the country's holdings could be as high as $60 billion, its officially confirmed on-chain reserves amount to only about 240 BTC.