US custody of Maduro reignites speculation over Venezuela’s $60B in hidden Bitcoin reserves

Following the US capture of Nicolás Maduro, speculation has intensified regarding a secret, state-controlled Bitcoin stockpile estimated by The Whale Hunt report to be worth between $60 billion and $67 billion, far exceeding publicly known reserves. These off-the-books assets were allegedly accumulated by Maduro's inner circle through years of looting state wealth, including oil revenue and gold, and converted into Bitcoin to evade US sanctions using methods like gold swaps and oil-for-USDT settlements. Alex Saab, a key Maduro ally and architect of Venezuela’s crypto finance network, is believed to have managed the wallet infrastructure and retained access to the private keys, even after his 2021 extradition and subsequent 2023 release in a prisoner swap. The possibility that the US might seize these assets is being cited by some observers as a potential bullish factor for Bitcoin.

(Source：Crypto Briefing)