According to data disclosed by the blockchain platform Arkham, the U.S. government recently transferred approximately 0.0048 bitcoins, which is worth less than $400 at the time of the transfer. It is claimed that this asset came from an account Alameda Research that was seized on Binance.US three years ago, but currently, no U.S. federal agency has provided any details regarding the specific purpose of this transfer.
Arkham reveals that the scale of transfers is very small
Information released on August 27 by Arkham shows that this amount of Bitcoin was transferred from a wallet labeled as belonging to the U.S. government. The platform did not classify this transaction as a sale, nor did it provide any evidence that the government has begun to dispose of the remaining Alameda related Bitcoins.
Arkham also raised the question of whether the U.S. government would continue to transfer out the remaining Alameda related bitcoins. However, as of now, the official has not announced a plan for selling the remaining assets.
- The transfer amount is approximately 0.0048 BTC.
- Valued at approximately $377 at that time based on the price at the time.
- Relevant addresses hold approximately 324,552 BTC.
Previously, larger-scale assets were transferred.
Prior to this small-sum transfer, the U.S. government has made multiple transfers of seized assets related to FTX and Alameda this year. Reports indicate that in June of this year, the government transferred assets totaling nearly $984,000, with the majority of that amount going to Coinbase Prime.
At that time, approximately $768,000 in assets were transferred into Coinbase Prime, which included not only Bitcoin but also other digital assets. Arkham once stated that those seized assets were related to the recovery process of the bankrupt property of FTX and might be used for subsequent payments to creditors.
In contrast, the amount of this transfer on August 27th was extremely small. The description provided by Arkham on X also does not refer to the target address as an exchange settlement address; therefore, at this stage, it cannot be determined that the government has initiated sales based on this information.
There is still a legal distinction in strategic Bitcoin reserves.
In recent months, the Bitcoin holdings of the U.S. government have been under continuous attention, against the backdrop of Trump establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve through an executive order in March 2025. Under this framework, Bitcoin that has gone through the final confiscation process can be transferred into the reserve and held as government assets.
However, "seized" is not the same as "finally confiscated." The former may still be subject to court proceedings, victim compensation, or other claims for rights; only bitcoins that are finally confiscated can be officially incorporated into government reserves. Assets that enter the strategic bitcoin reserve are also subject to the non-sale requirements stipulated in administrative orders.
A statistic from June this year showed that the U.S. federal government held approximately 328,372 bitcoins at that time, but these assets were spread across different institutional accounts, and their legal status was not entirely consistent. Since then, the Treasury Department and other departments have continued to work on issues related to custody, auditing, and management authorities.
Alameda assets are still related to the recovery efforts of FTX.
Alameda Research was a closely associated trading company with FTX before its collapse. Later, the prosecution accused Sam Bankman to Fried of misappropriating funds from exchange customers through the use of Alameda. In November 2023, a jury in New York found them guilty of multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy; in March 2024, the court sentenced them to 25 years in prison.
As of June 2026, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and sentencing. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy recovery proceedings for FTX and Alameda are still ongoing, and how the recovered assets will be distributed to creditors is also determined by these procedures.
Therefore, regarding whether this latest transfer of 0.0048 bitcoins belongs to the creditor repayment process, an internal transfer within the strategic bitcoin reserve, or a separate confiscation and disposal action, the official authorities have not yet provided any clarification.
