9,825 BTC ($217 million) to a wallet reportedly belonging to Coinbase.
The funds were originally seized from Silk Road exploiter James Zhong in November 2021. The DOJ has been holding onto the funds since then, but it’s unclear why they decided to move them now.
Some have speculated that the move could be related to the ongoing legal battle between the DOJ and Coinbase. The DOJ has been trying to force Coinbase to turn over customer data as part of an investigation into tax evasion, but Coinbase has pushed back, arguing that the request is overly broad and violates customer privacy.
It’s possible that the DOJ moved the funds to Coinbase as a way to put pressure on the exchange to comply with their demands. However, it’s worth noting that the funds are still in BTC form, which suggests that the DOJ isn’t planning to liquidate them anytime soon.
Regardless of the DOJ’s intentions, the move has caused a stir in the crypto community. Some have speculated that the funds could be used to manipulate the market, while others have pointed out that the move could be a sign that the government is becoming more comfortable with Bitcoin as an asset class.
Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that the Silk Road saga is far from over. The case has been ongoing for nearly a decade, and it seems that there are still plenty of twists and turns to come.
