Onchain data reveals that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has transferred 9,825 Bitcoin (BTC) worth $302 million, which were seized in connection to the Silk Road darknet marketplace. These funds were moved to new addresses on July 12 in two transactions, with one transaction still pending at the time of writing.
The Silk Road Bitcoin
The Silk Road Bitcoin refers to the more than 50,000 BTC that the U.S. government confiscated from James Zhong in 2022. Zhong, who hacked the dark web marketplace in 2012 to steal funds, took almost a decade to recover the stolen funds. Earlier this year, the U.S. government sold 9,800 BTC for $215.7 million through Coinbase crypto exchange. The authorities plan to sell the remaining over 40,000 Bitcoin balance in four batches by the end of this year.
Bitcoin’s Price Stability
Despite the speculation surrounding the movement of the seized BTC by the U.S. government, the price of Bitcoin remains unchanged. Currently trading at $30,713, BTC has experienced a 0.18% gain in the last 24 hours. In recent weeks, BTC has mostly traded above $30,000 as bullish sentiments returned to the market. Major financial institutions like BlackRock and Fidelity have shown interest in Bitcoin by applying for a spot BTC ETF, which has further contributed to the positive market sentiment.
Bitcoin Accumulation
Market observers, including Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of Gemini, have noted a significant accumulation of BTC. Data from ByteTree, shared by crypto analyst Miles Deutscher, revealed that funds now hold nearly 850,000 BTC as of June. This increase in BTC accumulation suggests growing confidence and interest from institutional investors.
Despite the movement of the seized Bitcoin and the ongoing efforts to liquidate the remaining balance, the overall market remains stable. Bitcoin’s resilience in the face of such events is a testament to its maturity as a digital asset. As the market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these developments shape the future of Bitcoin and its role in the global financial landscape.
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