"All told, more than $75 billion, according to research by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis Inc. That figure tracks the amount of crypto tied to illicit activity that's sitting "on chain"-meaning in an online wallet or platform-and within reach of law enforcement. "This brings asset forfeiture potential to a completely different level to what we've seen in the past," Jonathan Levin, chief executive officer of Chainalysis, said of the findings in an interview. "It does change how countries think about that.""
"Trump signed an executive order in March ordering the creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and digital asset stockpile, which would see the U.S. government keep hold of any cryptocurrencies seized from criminals and forfeited to its control. The U.S. already has an estimated $15 billion to $20 billion in forfeited Bitcoin, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in August. Other countries where lawmakers are debating or have already established strategic crypto reserves include El Salvador, Bhutan, the Czech Republic and Sweden,"
"Unofficial stockpiles of confiscated cryptoassets are also growing, like in the U.K., where authorities seized around 61,000 Bitcoin from a West London house in 2018. That's now worth almost $7 billion and represents one of the largest cryptocurrency hauls law enforcement have recovered anywhere in the world. Illicit entities hold nearly $15 billion in on-chain balances in 2025, while wallets downstream from those entities-those who have received at least 10% of their total funds from criminal sources-hold over $60 billion."
Governments are pursuing strategic crypto reserves built from cryptocurrencies seized from criminals. Chainalysis estimates more than $75 billion of crypto tied to illicit activity is on-chain and accessible to law enforcement. The U.S. issued an executive order in March to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve and already holds an estimated $15–$20 billion in forfeited Bitcoin. Several countries and some U.S. states are debating or establishing similar stockpiles. Large seizures include about 61,000 Bitcoin taken in the U.K., now worth nearly $7 billion. Illicit entities hold nearly $15 billion on-chain, and downstream wallets hold over $60 billion, making darknet marketplace administrators and vendors key enforcement targets.
Read at Fortune Crypto
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