- The Department of Justice reportedly sold Bitcoin from the Samourai Wallet case.
- Washington’s pro-Bitcoin senator, Senator Cynthia Lummis, is not happy about this.
- This is because Senator Lummis sponsored the US government’s bill to hold onto seized crypto for its strategic Bitcoin reserve.
The US isn’t doing enough to stack its sats.
That’s according to one of Washington’s most pro-Bitcoin senators, Cynthia Lummis, who said Tuesday that she was “deeply concerned” about the government reportedly liquidating seized coins.
Following a report by Bitcoin Magazine that the Department of Justice had gotten rid of the Bitcoin seized in a criminal case, Senator Lummis said on X that the feds should be doing more to build up their crypto reserves.
“Why is the US gov still liquidating Bitcoin when @POTUS explicitly directed [that] these assets be preserved for our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve?” Senator Lummis wrote, referring to the Samourai Wallet case.
Why is the U.S. gov still liquidating bitcoin when @POTUS explicitly directed these assets be preserved for our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve? We can’t afford to squander these strategic assets while other nations are accumulating bitcoin. I’m deeply concerned about this report. https://t.co/XW5WxsfliA
— Senator Cynthia Lummis (@SenLummis) January 6, 2026
“We can’t afford to squander these strategic assets while other nations are accumulating Bitcoin. I’m deeply concerned about this report,” she added.
Samourai was a coin mixing app available on the Google Play store which allowed users to hide their Bitcoin transactions.
But feds in 2024 arrested developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill and shut down the website, with the US Department of Justice alleging it was an “unlicensed money transmitting business” used by criminals.
Citing court documents Monday, Bitcoin Magazine reported that the US Marshall Service appeared to have sold the $6.3 million worth of Bitcoin that Rodriguez and Hill paid the Department of Justice as part of their guilty plea.
The magazine went on to say that this may have violated Executive Order 14233, which mandates that Bitcoin acquired via criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings should be held as part of the United States’ Strategy Bitcoin Reserve.
After the publication of this story, the United States Marshals Service told DL News that it “has not sold the Bitcoin mentioned” and it has “no idea how Bitcoin Magazine would get that information. But they did not fact check nor contact us for information.”
“USMS cryptocurrency liquidations go through a multi-level approval process to ensure only forfeited digital assets that meet the requirements of Section D of Executive Order 14233 are disposed,” the agency said.
US President Donald Trump in March 2025 signed an order for a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve — a bill Senator Lummis sponsored.
The idea, according to the bill, is that while the government won’t buy more Bitcoin, it also won’t sell the seized digital asset.
President Trump campaigned to help the industry and one of his promises was to establish a reserve of digital coins. The US government already has the biggest stash of crypto out of nation states, largely from seizures.
The DOJ did not immediately respond to DL News’ request for comment; Senator Lummis’ office would not respond to further questions.
Republican Senator Lummis earned the name “Bitcoin Senator” over the years for her pro-crypto approach on Capitol Hill.
The lawmaker — who announced her retirement in December — sponsored the Bitcoin Act for a Bitcoin strategic reserve, and was co-sponsor of the 2025’s GENIUS Act to regulate stablecoins.
A close ally of Trump, Lummis also in 2025 introduced legislation for a tax exemption on small Bitcoin transactions.
Update, January 6: This story has been updated with comments received from the United States Marshals Service.
Mathew Di Salvo is a news correspondent with DL News. Got a tip? Email at mdisalvo@dlnews.com.
