U.S. federal agencies are reportedly getting ready to report their cryptocurrency holdings to the Department of the Treasury, following a presidential executive order focused on blockchain oversight and digital asset regulation issued earlier this month.
According to Fox reporter Eleanor Terrett, anonymous sources within the White House have indicated that the agencies must submit their reports by Monday. However, the executive order only requires agencies to disclose their crypto asset reserves to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and does not mandate public release of the information on blockchain wallets or token balances.
“At this point, it’s still unclear if or when the data might be made public,” Terrett noted, raising concerns about governmental transparency in crypto markets.
This lack of transparency has sparked criticism within the cryptocurrency community. Many are questioning why the government’s digital currency holdings are being kept under wraps. Some argue that, as public institutions, federal agencies should provide public accountability by disclosing this blockchain-based data, while others have labeled the situation as opaque and potentially misleading.
During a podcast appearance last month, David Sacks — recently dubbed Trump’s AI and crypto czar — revealed that the U.S. government once held approximately 400,000 Bitcoin (BTC). However, he noted that nearly half of that stash was sold off for just $366 million. Sacks emphasized the missed opportunity in terms of crypto investment strategy, pointing out that if those coins had been retained in cold storage, their current value would exceed $17 billion at today’s market prices.
Strategic reserves and ongoing federal seizures
As of April 7, blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence reports that the U.S. government holds approximately 198,000 BTC—valued at around $15 billion based on current crypto market prices. In addition to Bitcoin, the government’s digital asset portfolio includes Ethereum (ETH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), and Binance Coin (BNB), totaling an additional $380 million in value.
This update follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on March 6, which mandates a comprehensive audit of federal cryptocurrency reserves and blockchain-based financial instruments. The order also introduces two new government-backed frameworks: the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.
Nicknamed a “digital Fort Knox,” the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is designed to hold seized BTC as a long-term strategic asset on the public blockchain, marking a shift away from previous practices of liquidating confiscated tokens via crypto auctions. In contrast, the Digital Asset Stockpile is a flexible tool for managing altcoins and stablecoins like ETH, BNB, or TRX—allowing for token swaps, smart contract-based transfers, or asset liquidation based on policy needs.
David Sacks, who leads crypto and AI policy for the Trump administration, explained that the Strategic Reserve would be filled using digital currencies previously seized through civil asset forfeiture and criminal investigations involving blockchain transactions. He estimated the government currently holds close to 200,000 BTC in various blockchain addresses, though a complete on-chain audit has yet to be conducted.
Crypto enforcement actions continue. In March, the Department of Justice (DOJ) seized more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency allegedly tied to Hamas—a group designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. This action was part of a broader crackdown on decentralized finance (DeFi) channels and cryptocurrency wallets used in illicit finance networks, which reportedly moved over $1.5 million since October 2024.
In certain cases, digital tokens directly linked to victims of fraud are eligible for restitution. On March 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Ohio announced its intent to forfeit approximately $8.2 million in Tether (USDT) associated with a crypto investment scam and return the funds to those affected, highlighting growing efforts to integrate blockchain forensics into financial recovery.