DOJ may have violated reserve order in Samourai Wallet BTC sale
The DOJ is under scrutiny for allegedly selling $6.3M in BTC forfeited from Samourai Wallet, potentially violating a federal reserve order.Summary
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing scrutiny for the sale of approximately $6.3 million in Bitcoin that was forfeited from the developers of Samourai Wallet, a privacy-focused Bitcoin application, following a plea deal related to money laundering. A document suggests the forfeited BTC was sent directly to a Coinbase Prime address on November 3, 2025, bypassing custody by the US Marshals Service (USMS), indicating the assets were sold. This action may violate Executive Order 14233, signed under the Trump administration, which prohibits the sale of forfeited Bitcoin unless specific exceptions apply, none of which legal experts believe were met in this case, suggesting the liquidation was discretionary. The prosecution of Samourai Wallet originated under the previous administration, and critics argue that enforcing EO 14233 and halting such prosecutions would demonstrate the current administration's commitment to ending the 'war on crypto,' especially as President Trump has signaled support for the developers.
(Source：Crypto Briefing)