- Senator Lummis questions Bitcoin liquidation despite the presidential preservation order.
- USMS sold $6.3 million in Bitcoin from the Samourai plea deal through the Coinbase Prime address.
- Executive Order 14233 mandates that forfeited Bitcoin be held in the Strategic Reserve.
Senator Cynthia Lummis has raised concerns about U.S. government agencies continuing to liquidate Bitcoin despite presidential directives to preserve these assets. The senator questioned why agencies are selling Bitcoin when President Trump explicitly ordered forfeited cryptocurrency be retained for the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
A report reveals the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) appears to have sold $6.3 million worth of Bitcoin that Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill paid as part of their guilty plea agreement. This action potentially violates Executive Order 14233, which mandates that Bitcoin acquired through criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings should be preserved as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Asset Liquidation Document Reveals Coinbase Transfer
According to an Asset Liquidation Agreement, the defendants agreed to transfer 57.55353033 Bitcoin valued at $6,367,139.69 to the USMS.
The Bitcoin was sent from address bc1q4pntkz06z7xxvdcers09cyjqz5gf8ut4pua22r on November 3, 2025. Records indicate the funds bypassed direct USMS custody and were instead sent to the Coinbase Prime address 3Lz5ULL7nG7vv6nwc8kNnbjDmSnawKS3n8. Arkham Intel attributes this address to the brokerage platform.
This Coinbase Prime address currently holds a zero balance, suggesting the Bitcoin has already been sold. If confirmed, this sale directly contradicts Executive Order 14233, which states that Bitcoin acquired by the government through criminal forfeiture “shall not be sold” and should be contributed to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Southern District Acts Despite Federal Guidance
The Southern District of New York (SDNY) handled the Samourai prosecution. If SDNY officials authorized the sale, it would mark another instance of the district acting against federal direction. The USMS sold the Bitcoin at its own discretion rather than following legal mandate from the executive branch.
The decision patterns suggest certain DOJ members still view Bitcoin as an asset requiring immediate liquidation rather than strategic retention. The Samourai prosecution originated under the previous administration, which maintained hostile positions toward noncustodial cryptocurrency tools and their developers.
Related: Venezuela’s Hidden Bitcoin Could Trigger a Major Supply Lock-Up
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Source: https://coinedition.com/senator-lummis-questions-why-us-gov-liquidates-bitcoin-despite-reserve-order/
