BTC has evolved beyond its initial status as a novel financial instrument. It's gaining mainstream acceptance and reportedly finding its way into national reserves. The US government alone holds a substantial amount of BTC (~ 207,189) seized from criminal activity, with a current value exceeding 14B USD
[1]. This surpasses holdings by major corporate investors like MicroStrategy (193K BTC) and positions the US as the world's largest holder of government-confiscated Bitcoin. Given the significant size of this holding, the U.S. government's actions in the crypto market can be seen as having a whale-like impact, potentially causing significant price movements.
The US government sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency world with a recent transfer of 15,085 BTC, valued at roughly 922M USD. This action coincided with Bitcoin reaching a new high of 60K USD, sparking speculation about a potential profit-taking strategy by the government
[2].
Concerns are mounting as this move echoes a similar transfer in July 2023. Back then, the government transferred 9,800 BTC (around 300M USD) which was followed by an 18% price drop for Bitcoin, falling from 30K USD to 25K USD
[3].
Despite the current price of Bitcoin reaching 68.5K USD and nearing its all-time high of 2021, the crypto community remains jittery.
Personally, I believe that the US government may consider selling confiscated BTC to generate revenue for the national budget. Unlike private investors focused on long-term holding strategies, the government's primary goal is to manage seized assets effectively. The current price of BTC could present a favorable opportunity to sell and increase government funds.
At the same time, I think: despite recent price gains and positive investor sentiment, a potential 1B USD liquidation by the US government is unlikely to significantly impact the rising momentum of BTC or the broader cryptocurrency market. Similar large sales, like FTX's 1B USD worth of GBTC sale in January
[4] and Genesis' current 1.3B USD worth of GBTC sale
[5], haven't had a major effect on BTC price. Considering the current market excitement and the high daily trading volume of BTC, exceeding 70B USD, a 1B USD sale from the US government wouldn't be a major cause for concern.
I would like to know your views on the possibility of selling 1B USD worth of BTC from the US government:
- Do you think the US government is about to sell 15,085 BTC?
- Will this event have a negative impact on BTC and the entire crypto market?
- Are you worried and changed your investment strategy because of this event?
References:[1]
Countries & Governments that Own Bitcoin[2]
US gov’t moved $922 million of seized Bitcoin after BTC price broke $60,000[3]
US Government Transfers $300 Million Worth of Seized Silk Road Bitcoins[4]
FTX Sold About $1B of Grayscale's Bitcoin ETF, Explaining Much of Outflow: Sources[5]
Genesis Cleared to Sell GBTC Shares Worth $1.3 Billion