Bitcoin News Today: U.S. Marshal Service Bitcoin Holdings 85.6% Lower Than Estimated

The U.S. Marshal Service has disclosed that it holds approximately 28,988.3563016 bitcoins, a figure significantly lower than the widely anticipated 207,189 bitcoins. This revelation, published by independent journalist Lola Leetz on July 15, 2025, came in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents obtained by Leetz indicate that the U.S. Marshal Service's holdings are stored via Coinbase Prime, and the reported amount is 85.6% below the commonly cited figure of 207,189 bitcoins.

This discrepancy has raised questions about the actual extent of the U.S. government's Bitcoin holdings. In March 2025, Crypto Czar David Sacks estimated the U.S. Bitcoin reserve at roughly 200,000 bitcoins. Earlier in July, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration mentioned that in December 2023, the U.S. held $8 billion worth of seized cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, which was approximately 190,400 bitcoins at the December 2023 prices. However, it is important to note that not all of these bitcoins are owned by the U.S. government, as some may be seized assets that will be returned to the victims of crimes.

The U.S. Marshal Service is primarily responsible for holding forfeited assets, which are assets that have been legally seized and transferred to the government. Seized assets, on the other hand, are assets that have been taken into custody but have not yet been forfeited. This distinction is crucial in understanding the complexity of the U.S. government's Bitcoin holdings. Other agencies, such as the IRS, FBI, and DEA, may also hold seized bitcoins, further complicating the overall picture.

Leetz's findings underscore the need for a comprehensive audit of the U.S. government's Bitcoin holdings. The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, established by an executive order signed by Donald Trump on March 6, 2025, prohibits the U.S. from selling bitcoins and requires agencies holding Bitcoin to report their holdings to the U.S. Treasury. However, as of July 17, 2025, no official results of the audit have been published, leaving the exact amount of bitcoins held by the U.S. government unknown.

The discrepancy between the reported holdings of the U.S. Marshal Service and the widely anticipated figure of 207,189 bitcoins highlights the challenges in accurately estimating the U.S. government's Bitcoin holdings. The complexity of the holdings structure, which includes both seized and forfeited assets, as well as the involvement of multiple agencies, makes it difficult to provide a precise figure. The public release of the official audit is eagerly awaited to shed more light on this matter.