US Bitcoin Holdings: Source & Amount

Unveiling the US Bitcoin Stash

Guess what? The U.S. government has started collecting Bitcoins, just like some people collect coins or stamps! This is a big deal because it shows that the government thinks Bitcoins are important. But where did all these Bitcoins come from, and why is the U.S. keeping them?

How Many Bitcoins Does the U.S. Have?

The U.S. government has about 198,109 Bitcoins right now[3]. That’s a lot! If we look at the current price of Bitcoin, these coins are worth around $17.80 billion. That’s like having a huge treasure chest full of gold! The U.S. got these Bitcoins from different cases where people used them for illegal activities, like buying things they shouldn’t on the internet[3].

Why Keep Bitcoins Instead of Selling Them?

In the past, the U.S. sold a lot of its Bitcoins. Between 2014 and 2023, it sold about 195,091.75 Bitcoins for around $366.49 million[3]. But if the U.S. had kept these Bitcoins, they would be worth about $17.6 billion now, because Bitcoin’s price has gone up a lot[3]. So, keeping Bitcoins can be like keeping a golden egg that grows bigger over time!

A New Plan: The Bitcoin Reserve

Recently, the U.S. government decided to start a special Bitcoin collection, like a museum for Bitcoins. This is called a “Bitcoin reserve.”[1] The government is doing this because it wants to show that it thinks Bitcoins are valuable. This reserve will have not just Bitcoins, but also other types of digital money, like Ethereum and XRP[1]. Isn’t that cool?

A New Era for Digital Money

The U.S. starting a Bitcoin reserve is a big deal. It means the government thinks digital money is important and can be useful for the country. It’s like opening a new door to a future where digital money is as normal as using dollars or cents. Isn’t it exciting to think about what might happen next?

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