Arkham confirms US gov holds $24B in Bitcoin, debunking 85% sell-off rumor

     

Blockchain firm clarifies U.S. agencies collectively hold 198K BTC despite misleading FOIA data

Blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence has confirmed that the U.S. government still possesses approximately 198,000 BTC-worth around $24 billion-dispelling viral rumors that 85% of its Bitcoin holdings had been sold off.

The rumor gained traction following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosure, which revealed that the U.S. Marshals Service held only 29,000 BTC. This led to widespread speculation that the U.S. had quietly liquidated the bulk of its crypto reserves.

However, Arkham clarified in a response to Senator Cynthia Lummis on X that the FOIA data only represented holdings from the U.S. Marshals Service and did not include Bitcoin controlled by other federal agencies, such as the FBI, DOJ, DEA, and various U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

U.S. Bitcoin holdings in global and fiscal context

The U.S. government’s estimated 198K BTC reserve places it well ahead of other state holders of Bitcoin. For comparison, the United Kingdom holds roughly $7 billion in Bitcoin, while Bhutan controls around $1.3 billion.

Though modest relative to the national debt-which has surpassed $37 trillion-the Bitcoin stash equates to approximately 0.065% of that figure. While the amount is fiscally insignificant, it carries symbolic weight, reflecting an increasing institutional footprint of Bitcoin within sovereign portfolios.

The debunked sell-off rumor has nonetheless raised questions about what might happen if the U.S. ever does decide to liquidate part of its holdings-either to reduce debt or fund government initiatives.