DOJ Confirms Samourai Wallet Bitcoin Remains in U.S. Strategic Reserve
White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt reaffirmed that Bitcoin seized from Samourai Wallet is secured in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under Executive Order 14233 and remains unsold.
White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt clarified that the Bitcoin forfeited from Samourai Wallet and its founders has not been liquidated. The Department of Justice confirmed these digital assets, worth approximately $6.4 million, remain part of the U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in compliance with Executive Order 14233. This follows earlier speculation that the U.S. Marshal Service had sold 57.55 BTC via Coinbase Prime on November 3, 2025, which Witt denied. Samourai Wallet’s co-founders, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, received five-year and four-year prison sentences, respectively, for operating a money transmitting business involved in laundering criminal proceeds exceeding $237 million.
- Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: A government-held reserve of Bitcoin maintained as part of national financial strategy.
- Samourai Wallet: A privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet designed to enhance user anonymity and transactional security.
- Executive Order 14233: A formal directive issued by the U.S. President, in this case outlining policy regarding the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.