Is Germany Selling its BTC? Arkham-Tagged Wallet Sparks Curiosity

The German government has sparked curiosity among the crypto community by moving 6,500 BTC from a wallet labeled 'German Government (BKA)' by Arkham. Is Germany selling its BTC?

Is Germany Selling its BTC?

A crypto wallet labeled “German Government (BKA)” by the crypto on-chain analytics firm Arkham started moving Bitcoin on June 19, sparking curiosity among the community. The wallet movements have led many to believe the German government is selling its BTC holdings.

German Government Seized BTC from Pirated Movie Platform

According to Arkham data, the crypto wallet has held nearly 50,000 Bitcoin (BTC) since February 2024, before moving nearly 6,500 BTC on June 19. The funds are believed to have been seized from the pirated movie website operator Movie2k.

German government wallet

The German government-linked wallet made four transactions on June 19, with one outflow of 6,500 BTC worth over $425 million to a wallet address bc1qunygz3ddt8x0v33s6ztxkrnw0s0tl7zk4yxwd and another of 2,500 BTC worth $154 million to its own address.

BTC transfer to exchanges

The wallet address received 6,500 BTC and then moved 2,500 BTC to another wallet address, bc1qq0l4jgg9rcm3puhhfwaz4c9t8hdee8hfz6738z. This wallet address then moved the newly received funds in four 500 BTC transactions. Two of these transactions were made to crypto exchanges Kraken and Bitstamp, while the other two were moved to non-labeled private addresses.

Governments Around the Globe Sell Seized BTC

Governments worldwide often confiscate Bitcoin and other digital assets from criminals, and they hold occasional auctions to sell their confiscated crypto holdings.

BTC seized from Silk Road

The United States government has already sold a significant chunk of the BTC seized from infamous dark web marketplace, the Silk Road. Tim Draper, an American businessman and Bitcoin advocate, bought Silk Road BTC in 2014 at an auction organized by the U.S. Marshals.

The Impact of Selling Seized BTC

While not all the transferred funds were liquidated, many crypto personalities commented on the potential impact of selling such a large stash of BTC. One crypto trader claimed that the recent rise in short positions and the dip in the Bitcoin market could be due to the German government’s selling spree.