The US seizes 127,271 BTC, worth $15 billion, boosting its Federal Reserve to $36 billion. The seizure is tagged as marking the largest in Department of Justice (DOJ) history. Federal prosecutors revealed that the assets were tied to an international criminal network behind large-scale cyber scams. The move solidifies America’s position as one of the world’s largest government Bitcoin holders

US Bitcoin Seizure Sets New Record

The US government’s Bitcoin reserves have reached an estimated $36 billion following the seizure of digital assets worth nearly $15 billion from an international criminal network. The forfeiture reportedly marks the largest in the Department of Justice’s history, according to a statement released by the agency on Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, charged Chen Zhi, who is currently at large and the chairman of Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group, with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy after uncovering an extensive cybercrime operation that stretched across several countries. The group was accused of running “pig butchering” scams that defrauded victims around the world by luring them into fake crypto investment schemes. Prosecutors said victims were approached through social media and messaging apps and convinced to transfer cryptocurrency under the false promise of profits. After the victims supposedly invested in the schemes, the funds were instead siphoned off and laundered for the scammers’ profit.

Global Effort Uncovers Prince Group’s Crypto Fraud Scheme

The court filings revealed that Zhi’s network operated from forced-labor compounds in Cambodia, where trafficked workers were allegedly forced to operate fraudulent accounts. Investigators reportedly discovered facilities containing over a thousand mobile phones managing more than seventy thousand fake profiles on social platforms, which used to groom victims over time through emotional manipulation before their digital assets were stolen.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the rise of transnational scams has cost Americans billions of dollars, emphasizing that coordinated global action is essential to protect citizens. He added that the Treasury, in collaboration with law enforcement and allied nations, will continue efforts to dismantle criminal enterprises that target the digital economy.

Seizure Boosts US Position in Digital Asset Oversight

The 127,271 Bitcoin seized in the case are now under the custody of the US government. If the court approves the forfeiture, it will officially raise national holdings to about 325,000 bitcoin, valued at $36 billion. This comes months after the government formalized its national bitcoin and digital asset reserves under President Donald Trump’s executive order in March.

The Justice Department described the seizure as a milestone in both financial regulation and digital asset enforcement. With the inclusion of these digital assets, the United States now holds one of the largest government-controlled Bitcoin reserves globally.