Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice reveals over NT$1.3 billion in seized crypto assets

Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice currently holds exactly 210.45 Bitcoins from confiscated cases, placing the digital assets under state custody as proceeds of crime. 

According to government officials, there is no final decision on its disposal yet, although they are considering liquidating the assets through auction and sending proceeds into public revenue.

The disclosure comes on the heels of Taiwan’s government inquisition into how digital assets fit within its financial system while assessing the surge in crypto-linked crime cases in its country.

Taiwan judicial department seized USDT, USDC, and ETH

Per Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice data, the Bitcoin stash is only part of several digital assets held by authorities. According to the inventory, the total value of seized cryptos stands at approximately NT$1.3 billion, based on market prices at the time of reporting.

Stablecoins make up the largest share of the holdings by quantity, with more than 17.46 million USDT, valued at NT$560.18 million, 14,254.87 USDC worth about NT$459,405, and an additional 33,578.84 units of USDC.e priced at NT$1.02 million.

Ethereum holdings totaled 2,429.97 coins, and other smaller allocations listed were 292.53 BNB, 76,870.17 TRX, and 14,628.73 LPT. Judicial wallets also contained 6,385.92 TWT worth NT$181,041, 7,592.1 MAX tokens worth NT$82,526, and 91,656.47 BSC valued at NT$2,933.

The Ministry of Justice said the stockpile came from a wider effort to standardize how virtual assets are seized, stored, and eventually disposed of through the judicial process.

Political pressure builds over Bitcoin reserves

The disclosure arrives on the backdrop of political debates in the country over whether the government should treat Bitcoin as a strategic asset. Just last month, a Taiwanese lawmaker asked policymakers to consider adding Bitcoin to its national reserves.

“Virtual assets are no longer just speculative commodities, but a new battleground for national security and financial sovereignty,” Ko Ju-Chun, vice co-chair of the US-Taiwan Caucus in the Legislative Yuan, said during a general financial interpellation session.

While Taiwan has not committed to such a move, the existence of hundreds of millions of dollars in seized crypto has intensified questions about how the assets should be treated. Any long-term use would require legislative approval and coordination with financial regulators.

As reported by Cryptopolitan in November, Taiwan’s central bank has called for tighter oversight of stablecoin licensing and recommended that issuers keep part of their reserves at the central bank.

The institution sought a formal role in supervising stablecoins under the Financial Supervisory Commission’s draft Virtual Asset Services Act, arguing its involvement is necessary to assess risks to foreign exchange stability and payment system rules.

FSC Chair Peng Jin-long told lawmakers the bill had cleared initial cabinet reviews and could pass its third reading in the next legislative session. Regulations specific to stablecoins would follow within six months, placing the earliest possible launch of a local stablecoin in late 2026.

Taiwan’s crackdown on crypto crime continues

The pile of seized digital assets was collected from Taiwan’s crackdown on crypto-related crime over the last two years. In August, prosecutors announced the conclusion of an investigation into the BitShine crypto exchange, charging 14 individuals accused of conspiring with fraud rings to deceive more than 1,500 victims.

The group allegedly laundered more than NT$2.3 billion between January 2024 and April 2025, with victims losing over NT$1.27 billion, according to local media reports.

In early November, Taipei prosecutors said they had detained 25 people and seized NT$4.5 billion in assets from the Prince Group, a multinational network accused of running large-scale scam operations.

According to Channel News Asia’s report, the seized assets included 26 luxury vehicles, real estate, and bank accounts belonging to the network and Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi. Taiwanese state prosecutors accused the group of running scam centers in Cambodia, where individuals were kidnapped and forced to convince victims to invest in fraudulent crypto tokens and online gambling.

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