Beijing's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) said the theft was not the work of outside hackers. Instead, the agency called it a "state-level operation" allegedly orchestrated by U.S. intelligence. The seized Bitcoin now sits at roughly $13.3 billion. The U.S. Department of Justice said the action followed standard legal procedures. Still, China called the move a "state-level cyber theft." Analysts say the dispute has turned a legal matter into a major geopolitical standoff.