#美司法部抛售比特币 In the eyes of cryptocurrency supporters, Trump's return to the White House marks the beginning of a new golden era for crypto. Trump’s reentry into the White House comes with vows to incorporate Bitcoin into the national strategic reserve; the Deputy Attorney General issues a memo calling for a halt to the "witch hunt" against non-custodial crypto tools. However, beneath this seemingly calm surface, a covert battle over "who is the real decision-maker" is quietly erupting between the SDNY (Southern District of New York) and Washington.
Recently, a leaked asset liquidation document has exploded like a deep-water bomb, piercing through the shield of the Trump administration’s "Bitcoin strategic reserve"—the USMS (United States Marshals Service), under the direction of the New York prosecutors, quietly sold off Bitcoin confiscated from the developer of Samourai Wallet. This was not merely an asset liquidation; it was a blatant "slap in the face" to President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14233 issued on March 6, 2025.
Disappeared 57.55 Bitcoins
The story begins with an unpublicized "Asset Liquidation Agreement." Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill agreed in their plea deals to forfeit approximately $6.3 million worth of Bitcoin. According to on-chain tracking by Arkham Intel, about 57.55 BTC was transferred out of the related address on November 3, 2025. Instead of being sent into the newly established "U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR)," as many expected, the coins flowed directly into the address of Cb Prime. Subsequently, the balance was zeroed out. This means: they sold.
To most, this appears to be a routine judicial procedure. But in the political context of 2026, this move is highly provocative. According to Executive Order No. 14233 signed by Trump, Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture procedures is explicitly defined as "Government Bitcoin." The president’s order states clearly: "Must not be sold," and must be held as part of the national strategic reserve.
Declaration of the "New York Sovereign District"
Why can these Bitcoins be sold under the presidential order?
This brings us to the so-called "New York Sovereign District"—the SDNY (Southern District of New York).
SDNY is a particularly unique entity within the U.S. judicial system. Although nominally under the Department of Justice, it is known for its "independent, tough, and even rebellious" style of operation. With this sale, SDNY seems to be signaling to the outside world: Washington’s orders are Washington’s, and Manhattan’s rules are Manhattan’s.
SDNY even ignored a memo issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on April 7, 2025. The memo explicitly states that "the Department of Justice will no longer prosecute virtual currency exchanges, mixing services, or end-users of non-custodial wallets."
Yet, SDNY continues to pursue litigation against Samourai and remains persistent in the case against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm. Even when senior officials at FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) hinted that Samourai’s non-custodial nature does not qualify it as a remittance institution, SDNY persisted regardless.
The Gray Areas of Law and the Arrogance of Power
If SDNY wants to justify their actions, they can indeed find loopholes in the law. According to legal sources, the basis for confiscation is Title 18, Section 982(a)(1) of the U.S. Code. While the law states that confiscated property belongs to the United States, it does not explicitly mandate that such assets must be "liquidated."
This is the core contradiction: the law grants prosecutors discretion, but executive orders impose restrictions.
SDNY chose to exercise that discretion by converting Bitcoin into USD. Technically, this might be considered "legally inert," but politically, it is a direct negation of the executive branch’s intent. They did not show mercy because these assets are "strategic," but rather seemed eager to handle some "taboo assets" and cleanse them before they enter the national treasury.
Uncertain Ending: The President’s Next Move
This incident puts Trump in an awkward position. On one hand, he is considering pardoning Samourai developer Rodriguez to demonstrate support for non-custodial crypto technologies; on the other hand, his subordinate agencies are selling off what should be national Bitcoin reserves right under his nose. If Trump truly pardons Rodriguez and orders an investigation into this sale, it would be a direct confrontation between executive power and the judicial bureaucracy.
"Is the Bitcoin war really over?" is the question on every crypto supporter’s mind.
Although the White House has changed hands, within the vast federal machinery, in this complex network known as the "deep state," hostility toward cryptocurrencies has not dissipated.
The SDNY’s sale of just 57.55 BTC is not only about market value; it undermines market confidence in "policy consistency."
This event serves as a warning: on the road to establishing Bitcoin as a national reserve, the biggest obstacle may not be market volatility but resistance and division within the power structures themselves. For Trump, to truly establish a Bitcoin strategic reserve, he may first need to deal with this group of "outside the rules, beyond the king’s command" prosecutors.
