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The US government transferred roughly $288.33 million in seized crypto on July 13, 2026. Destination: Coinbase Prime. The move covered approximately 3,800 BTC and 30,000 ETH across multiple transactions. Arkham Intelligence tracked it on-chain. <a href="https://decrypt.co/373463/us-government-moves-288m-in-seized-crypto-to-coinbase-prime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decrypt</a> reported it on July 14.
The question now: sale or custody shuffle?
Arkham&#x27;s data traces the Bitcoin to forfeitures tied to Ryan Farace and the BTC-e exchange case. The Ethereum is reportedly linked to the Brian Krewson money-laundering forfeiture. Both pools sat in government-controlled wallets before landing at Coinbase Prime.
Coinbase Prime isn&#x27;t a retail exchange. It&#x27;s an institutional custody and OTC trading platform. Assets moved there can be sold without hitting public order books. That matters. A transfer stages assets for a potential sale. It doesn&#x27;t confirm one.
This has precedent. Nearly $600 million in Silk Road-linked Bitcoin moved to Coinbase Prime in August 2024. CoinDesk noted at the time that custody transfers don&#x27;t automatically signal liquidation. The US Marshals Service uses Coinbase Prime as a custodial and execution partner for seized digital assets. That&#x27;s the framework here.
This cycle&#x27;s harder to read than previous ones. Trump&#x27;s executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve includes a firm provision: BTC held within the reserve &quot;shall not be sold,&quot; per Decrypt&#x27;s reporting. A separate Digital Asset Stockpile framework governs Ethereum and other seized assets. Different assets. Different rules. It&#x27;s not confirmed whether the transferred BTC falls under reserve protections or sits outside that structure entirely.
Crypto Briefing framed the July 14 transfer as reigniting the same liquidation debate that follows every large government wallet movement. Bitcoin.com corroborated the on-chain figures using Arkham data. Neither confirmed sale intent.
The DOJ and US Marshals Service hadn&#x27;t issued public statements at time of reporting.
Intent&#x27;s unconfirmed. What isn&#x27;t: the US is one of the world&#x27;s largest known holders of seized crypto. Every major wallet movement draws scrutiny. It&#x27;ll keep happening until the government&#x27;s asset management policies get clearer. Sale, reserve deposit, or cold storage—the answer shows up on-chain. Eventually.

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US Government Moves $288M in Seized Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime

The US government transferred $288M in seized Bitcoin and Ethereum to Coinbase Prime. Is a crypto sale coming? Here's what the on-chain data reveals.