On Tuesday, the U.S. government shifted a modest slice of bitcoin, roughly 0.33 BTC, marking its first onchain movement of the year. The coins were tied to a wallet labeled “Miguel Villanueva Seized Funds,” and the holdings are now valued at just under $23,000.
US Government Moves Bitcoin From ‘Seized Funds’ Wallet in First 2026 Transfer
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Federal Authorities Send 0.33 BTC to New Wallets
Onchain records indicate that three separate transfers from U.S. government-controlled crypto wallets sent roughly 0.33 BTC to newly identified, unknown addresses. Data from Arkham Intelligence indicates the three originating wallets carried the label “Miguel Villanueva Seized Funds.”
However, publicly available court filings and government statements provide no further detail about Villanueva or the circumstances surrounding the seizure. Federal wallets dispatched roughly 0.05678428 BTC in one transaction, 0.24020319 BTC in another, and 0.03782683 BTC in a final move, totaling 0.3348143 BTC valued at $22,876.55 at an exchange rate of $68,326.07 per bitcoin.
The development comes months after revelations in January, when ZachXBT reported that $40 million in crypto had been siphoned from government seizure wallets. At the time, ZachXBT said the culprit was linked to a third party reportedly involved in managing the government’s digital forfeitures.
As of March 3, 2026, Arkham data shows the U.S. government currently holds about 328,371.99 BTC valued at $22.45 billion. The government’s previous bitcoin transfer, before today’s Villanueva move, occurred on Nov. 3, 2025, when authorities were found to have shifted 57.55 BTC to Coinbase Prime.
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That specific transaction in November followed an even larger move on Oct. 14, 2025, involving 1,320.24 BTC tied to the “Potapenko/Turogin Forfeited Funds” wallets. The latest bitcoin movement follows President Trump’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), established by executive order last year, which pledged that federal authorities would never sell bitcoin.
FAQ 🔎
- How much bitcoin did the U.S. government move on March 3, 2026?
The U.S. government transferred a total of 0.3348143 BTC, valued at about $22,876.55 at $68,326.07 per bitcoin. - What is the “Miguel Villanueva Seized Funds” bitcoin wallet?
It is a government-labeled seizure wallet tied to bitcoin holdings, though no public court records detail the case. - How much bitcoin does the U.S. government hold in 2026?
As of March 3, 2026, Arkham data shows federal authorities control about 328,371.99 BTC worth roughly $22.45 billion. - Does this transfer violate the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve order?
The executive order establishing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve pledged the government would not sell bitcoin, and the recent transfer does not confirm a sale.
