On January 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officially confirmed that 57.55 Bitcoin forfeited from Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill will not be liquidated. The assets will remain on the U.S. government’s balance sheet as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), in full compliance with Executive Order 14233.
This decision directly refutes earlier speculation about an imminent sale and marks a clear policy continuation under the current administration.
Patrick Witt, Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, stated on X:
“UPDATE: we have received confirmation from DOJ that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet have not been liquidated and will not be liquidated, per EO 14233. They will remain on the USG balance sheet as part of the SBR.”
Neither Rodriguez nor Hill has issued public statements regarding the confirmation.
Prior to Executive Order 14233, the U.S. government routinely liquidated seized cryptocurrencies through auctions conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. These sales frequently created short-term downward pressure on Bitcoin’s price and were closely tracked by on-chain analysts.
The new approach—retaining forfeited BTC as a strategic national asset—eliminates that source of sell pressure and signals long-term confidence in Bitcoin’s value.
At the time of confirmation, Bitcoin traded at $95,286.33 with a market capitalization of $1.90 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap data captured at 04:07 UTC on January 17, 2026. The asset showed a modest 0.04% daily decline but a strong 9.81% increase over the previous 30 days.
Market participants have welcomed the clarification, interpreting it as a positive sign of policy consistency and reduced near-term supply overhang.
The decision aligns with broader U.S. government interest in positioning Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, similar to gold or foreign currency holdings. Analysts view this as supportive of long-term price stability and potential future appreciation.
