Governments Selling Bitcoin!? What Does It Mean For BTC!?

Coin Bureau
28 Jul 202421:43

Summary

TLDRThis video explores the substantial Bitcoin holdings of various governments, primarily acquired through seizure from illicit activities. It delves into how the US, China, the UK, and Ukraine came to hold significant amounts of BTC, the impact on crypto markets, and the potential future of these assets. The US government's holdings, largely from the Silk Road and other high-profile cases, are contrasted with China's seizure from the Plus Token scam. The video also speculates on the implications of these holdings for market stability and the potential for governments to become major players in the crypto space.

Takeaways

  • 🇩🇪 The German government's sale of its BTC holdings has raised concerns about potential market disruptions from similar actions by other governments.
  • 🇺🇸 The US government holds the largest known stash of crypto, with over 213,000 BTC, acquired mainly through seizure from illicit activities rather than purchases.
  • 💡 The US government's crypto holdings also include significant amounts of ETH, BNB, USDC, and USDT, totaling around $4 billion at the time of the video.
  • 🕵️‍♂️ A notable portion of the US government's BTC comes from the Silk Road darknet marketplace, including a significant seizure from the anonymous hacker known as 'Individual X'.
  • 🇨🇳 The Chinese government once held over 190,000 BTC, seized from the Plus Token scam, and is believed to have exchanged most, if not all, of it.
  • 🇬🇧 The UK government has confiscated over 61,000 BTC from various cases, including a high-profile money laundering case involving funds from an investment fraud operation in China.
  • 💰 The confiscated crypto assets are typically secured in cold storage during investigations and later converted to fiat currency through auctions or exchanges.
  • 🤔 The future of government-held crypto is uncertain, with possibilities ranging from being sold off to potentially being used as a reserve currency.
  • 🇺🇦 Ukraine has received significant crypto donations for military and humanitarian aid during the conflict with Russia, and has also seized crypto in corruption cases.
  • 🏦 Central banks will be allowed to hold up to 2% of their reserves in crypto from January 1, 2025, which could significantly impact the crypto market.
  • 🔮 The crypto market's reaction to government sales of seized crypto is a key concern, as it can cause fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), affecting market stability.

Q & A

  • Why did the German government's sale of BTC cause concern in the crypto market?

    -The German government's sale of BTC raised concerns because large-scale selling by governments could cause significant market fluctuations and instabilities, potentially leading to 'Mayhem' as mentioned in the script.

  • Which government holds the largest crypto stash according to the video?

    -According to the data from Arkham mentioned in the script, the US government holds the largest crypto stash, with over 213,000 BTC.

  • How did the US government acquire its crypto holdings?

    -The US government's crypto holdings were not purchased but seized from individuals involved in illicit activities, such as hacking and fraud.

  • What is the story behind 'Individual X' and the Silk Road?

    -Individual X is an anonymous hacker who stole over 69,000 BTC from the Silk Road darknet marketplace between 2012 and 2013. The hacker was apprehended in February 2015 and all stolen BTC were confiscated.

  • What was the mistake made by James Jong that led to his capture?

    -James Jong was caught after he called 911 reporting theft from his residence, which led to an investigation. His mistake was sending some of the stolen BTC to an exchange without proper obfuscation, leading to his identification.

  • What is the total value of the US government's crypto holdings as mentioned in the script?

    -The total value of the US government's crypto holdings is at least $4 billion at the time of the video's production.

  • How has the US government managed the confiscated BTC?

    -The US government typically manages and secures the confiscated BTC in cold storage during investigations and then converts these funds to fiat currency through auctions or exchanges.

  • What is the situation with the Chinese government's holdings of BTC?

    -The Chinese government once held over 190,000 BTC, seized from the Plus Token scam project. It is believed that most, if not all, of this crypto has been exchanged as part of the seizure ruling.

  • What was the outcome for Ilia 'Dutch' Lonstein and Heather Morgan after their arrest for laundering BTC from the Bitfinex hack?

    -Ilia Lonstein confessed to being responsible for the Bitfinex hack and was still in jail awaiting further sentencing, while Heather Morgan was released on bail.

  • What is the UK government's stance on crypto assets seized from criminals?

    -The UK government has the authority to seize, freeze, and destroy cryptocurrency used by criminals. If no one is entitled to the stolen assets, they are sold off, with half of the funds going to the police and the other half to the Home Office.

  • What impact did the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have on crypto donations to Ukraine?

    -The conflict led to a significant amount of crypto donations to help Ukraine with military and humanitarian funding, with over $225 million worth of crypto reportedly raised from supporters worldwide.

  • What are the potential future scenarios for governments holding seized crypto?

    -Governments may sell the seized crypto at some point, which could suppress the markets, or they might keep their crypto holdings as a reserve to support their local fiat currencies, depending on regulatory developments and market conditions.

Outlines

00:00

🏦 Government Crypto Holdings and Their Impact

This paragraph discusses the significant crypto holdings of various governments, highlighting the potential market impact if they were to sell. It emphasizes the US government's leading position with over 213,000 BTC, mostly seized from illicit activities, such as the notorious Silk Road marketplace and individuals like 'Individual X' and James Jong. The paragraph also mentions other cryptocurrencies held by the US, totaling around $4 billion. It raises concerns about the possible market mayhem if governments decide to sell their crypto assets.

05:02

💰 US Government's Bitcoin Auctions and Future Plans

The second paragraph delves into the US government's management of confiscated Bitcoin, stored in cold storage during investigations and later converted to fiat currency through auctions or OTC sales. It details the sales made between 2014 and 2023, amounting to over $360 million. The funds are typically directed to law enforcement budgets or public services. The paragraph speculates on the US government's potential strategies for its remaining Bitcoin holdings, suggesting they might wait for regulatory clarity before making significant moves, possibly influenced by the US presidential election campaign and the vice president's known Bitcoin holdings.

10:02

🐉 China's Seizure and Management of Crypto Assets

This paragraph examines the Chinese government's crypto holdings, which at one point exceeded 190,000 BTC, seized from the Plus Token scam. It describes the Plus Token project, the arrests made, and the court's decision to process and forfeit the seized digital currencies to the National treasury. The paragraph also touches on China's past confiscation of crypto equipment and its crackdown on crypto mining and trading while maintaining a legal stance on crypto ownership. It raises speculation about possible state-owned mining operations and the potential sale of any mined crypto.

15:03

🇬🇧 UK Government's Confiscated Crypto and Legal Actions

The fourth paragraph focuses on the UK government's confiscated Bitcoin, amounting to over 61,000 BTC, seized from a citizen involved in a Chinese investment fraud. It narrates the case of Gian Wen, her arrest, and conviction for money laundering, as well as the ongoing civil recovery investigation that could lead to the forfeiture of the confiscated Bitcoin. The paragraph also mentions the UK's new law allowing authorities to seize and destroy illicit crypto assets, and the challenges faced by fraud victims in recovering their stolen funds.

20:04

🇺🇦 Ukraine's Crypto Donations and Seizures Amid Conflict

The final paragraph discusses Ukraine's crypto scene, particularly the donations received during the conflict with Russia, which totaled over $225 million in various cryptocurrencies. It also covers the Ukrainian government's own crypto holdings, declared by public officials, and instances of crypto seizures from illicit activities, such as the case involving the former Head of State Communications. The paragraph ponders the potential effects of government-held crypto on the market, considering both the risks of sales and the possibilities of governments keeping or even mining more crypto as a reserve currency.

🚀 Potential Future Developments in Government Crypto Policies

In the concluding paragraph, the video anticipates two major bullish catalysts for crypto from a governmental perspective. The first is the potential for positive crypto regulations in the US if the likely next president and his crypto-friendly VP take office. The second is the upcoming rule change allowing central banks to hold up to 2% of their reserves in crypto from January 1st, 2025, which could lead to significant purchases by governments. The paragraph leaves viewers with the impression that the crypto market could be in for a wild ride as governments' attitudes and actions towards crypto evolve.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency refers to digital or virtual currencies that use cryptography for security and operate independently of a central bank. In the video, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and others are central to the discussion as they are held by various governments and are the subject of legal and financial scrutiny. The video discusses how governments have seized and are holding significant amounts of cryptocurrencies, which could impact the market.

💡Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009. It is decentralized and operates on a peer-to-peer network. The video script mentions that various governments hold large amounts of BTC, which they have seized from illicit activities. For example, the US government reportedly holds over 213,000 BTC, and the Chinese government is believed to have held over 190,000 BTC at one point.

💡Seizure

Seizure in the context of the video refers to the act of legally taking possession of property, typically in relation to criminal activities. Governments have seized cryptocurrencies from individuals involved in illegal activities, such as hacking and money laundering. The video provides examples of such seizures, including the confiscation of over 69,000 BTC from 'Individual X' and over 51,000 BTC from James Jong, both related to the Silk Road marketplace.

💡Illicit Activities

Illicit activities in the video refer to criminal actions such as hacking, money laundering, and fraud. These activities are the reason why governments have been able to seize large amounts of cryptocurrencies. The video discusses several cases where individuals were involved in illicit activities, leading to the seizure of their cryptocurrency holdings by law enforcement.

💡Silk Road

Silk Road was an infamous online black market that operated on the dark web, known for selling illegal goods and services. The video mentions Silk Road in the context of two hackers, 'Individual X' and James Jong, who stole large amounts of BTC from the marketplace. These stolen bitcoins were later seized by the US government, highlighting the connection between illicit activities and the accumulation of cryptocurrencies by governments.

💡Money Laundering

Money laundering is the process of making illegally-gained proceeds (i.e., 'dirty money') appear legal (i.e., 'clean'). In the video, the term is used to describe how individuals have used cryptocurrencies to conceal the illegal origins of their wealth. For instance, the video discusses a case where a UK citizen named Gian Wen was found guilty of laundering funds from an investment fraud operation in China, involving the conversion of stolen money into BTC.

💡Cold Storage

Cold storage in the context of cryptocurrencies refers to keeping them in a secure, offline environment to protect them from being stolen by hackers. The video mentions that governments typically manage and secure their seized cryptocurrencies in cold storage while investigations are ongoing, emphasizing the importance of security in handling these assets.

💡OTC Auction

OTC (Over-the-Counter) auction refers to a method of trading where transactions are conducted directly between two parties without going through a centralized exchange. The video mentions that governments often convert their seized cryptocurrencies to fiat currency through OTC auctions, which can be a significant source of revenue for law enforcement budgets or other public services.

💡Inflation Hedge

An inflation hedge is an asset that is expected to maintain or increase its value during times of inflation, protecting investors from the loss of purchasing power. The video discusses the possibility that some might consider cryptocurrencies like BTC as a potential hedge against inflation. However, it also notes that the amount of BTC held by governments is relatively small compared to their overall financial assets, making it unlikely that they would use it as a primary hedge.

💡Crypto Regulations

Crypto regulations refer to the legal frameworks and rules governing the use and operation of cryptocurrencies. The video suggests that the future actions of governments regarding their cryptocurrency holdings could be influenced by the development of these regulations. It also hints at the potential for governments to become more involved in the cryptocurrency space, either by buying or mining cryptocurrencies, depending on regulatory clarity.

💡National Treasury

The National Treasury refers to the central financial and accounting office of a country, responsible for managing the government's finances. In the video, it is mentioned in the context of the Chinese government's seizure of cryptocurrencies, where the proceeds from the sale of these assets are forfeited to the National Treasury, illustrating the government's control over confiscated assets.

Highlights

The German government's sale of its BTC holdings has raised concerns about potential market disruptions.

Governments worldwide hold significant BTC amounts that could impact markets if sold.

The US government holds over 213,000 BTC, primarily seized from illicit activities.

Individual X, an anonymous hacker, had over 69,000 BTC stolen from the Silk Road marketplace.

James Jong, another Silk Road hacker, was apprehended after a 911 call and pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

Ilia 'Dutch' Lonstein and Heather Morgan were arrested for laundering BTC from the Bitfinex hack.

The US government has sold over $360 million of BTC through auctions between 2014 and 2023.

China seized over 190,000 BTC from the Plus Token scam, one of the largest crypto scams.

Chinese officials have also confiscated crypto mining equipment despite a crypto mining ban.

The UK government holds over 61,000 BTC seized from a money laundering operation involving investment fraud.

Ukraine has received over $225 million in crypto donations for military and humanitarian aid.

Ukrainian officials have been found to own over 46,000 BTC, raising concerns about corruption.

Government-held crypto sales can suppress markets and create uncertainty.

The potential for governments to buy and hold BTC as a reserve currency could be a bullish catalyst.

As of January 1st, 2025, central banks will be allowed to hold up to 2% of their reserves in crypto.

The next US presidential administration may bring positive regulations for the crypto industry.

Governments may opt to mine BTC rather than purchase it, potentially impacting the market.

Transcripts

play00:00

if you've been keeping up with crypto

play00:01

lately you'll know that the German

play00:03

government has just finished selling off

play00:05

its BTC this Uber dump had everyone

play00:09

concerned but what's even more

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concerning is that the Germans Are Not

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Alone governments around the world have

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stacks so big that if they were to sell

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it could cause Mayhem in the markets so

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today we'll tell you which governments

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hold the most BTC how they got their

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hands on it and what they plan to do

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with their massive

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Stacks we'll start with the government

play00:34

with the largest crypto stash and it

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probably won't be a surprise to learn

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that that Crown belongs to the USA

play00:42

according to data from Arkham the US

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government holds over

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213,000 BTC although different sources

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suggest different amounts due to which

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wallets are included in the data anyway

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Arkham's data suggests that the US

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government's crypto Holdings Al o

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include 750 wrapped BTC 50,000 eth

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40,000 BNB 10 million usdc and over 121

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million usdt bringing its total crypto

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Holdings to a whopping $4 billion at

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least at the time of shooting however

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while it might look like Uncle Sam is

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one allmighty giga whale the US

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government has reportedly never actually

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bought any BTC instead all of its crypto

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Holdings have been seized from those

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involved in illicit activities one

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notable standout comes from somebody

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simply known as individual X an

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anonymous hacker whose identity is

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apparently known to us authorities but

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not the public anyway sometime between

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2012 and 2013 individual X managed to

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hack into the informous silkroad darknet

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marketplace and steal over

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69,000 BTC apparently Silk Road founder

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Ross alrick who ran the site under the

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pseudonym dread pirate Roberts became

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aware of individual X's identity and

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started threatening the hacker so they'd

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return the funds instead though

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individual X kept hold of all the stolen

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BTC but didn't actually spend any of it

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in February 2015 individual X was

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apprehended and was made to sign a

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consent and agreement to forfeiture

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handing over all that precious crypto

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while Ross alri himself was given two

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life sentences however individual X

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wasn't the only person to have wormed

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their way into the Silk Road because

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another hacker was James Jong now I say

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hacker in quotation marks because his

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exploit was much less sophisticated

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basically he just spammed the withdrawal

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button well okay it was a bit more

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technical than that but well that's the

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gist of it anyway Jong managed to steal

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more than 51,000 BTC and then spent

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spent the next 10 years living at large

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keeping his identity a secret by using

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crypto mixers until he was found in

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November 20121 how was he caught I hear

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you ask well Jong made the mistake of

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calling 911 and reporting that someone

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had stolen hundreds of thousands of

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dollars worth of crypto from his

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residence oh the irony this naturally

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raised eyebrows but the real mistake was

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when Jong later sent some of this stolen

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BTC to an exchange with kyc the thing is

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once he was caught he knew the game was

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up opting to fully cooperate with

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investigators he pleaded guilty to one

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count of wire fraud handed over all of

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his BTC and was sentenced to just one

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year and one day in prison which could

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have been a lot lot worse so then much

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of Uncle Sam's BTC originates in one way

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or another from Silk Road but not all of

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it in one of crypto's more head

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scratching bizarre stories of recent

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times 94,000 BTC were seized from Ilia

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lonstein and his wife Heather Morgan

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Ilia who describes himself on LinkedIn

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as a quote technology entrepreneur coder

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and investor goes by the nickname Dutch

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while his wife Heather goes by the

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nickname rasle Khan basically she's a

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god- awful Tik Tok rapper moon and stars

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we don't own cars to cool for bars oh

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yeah like weird from

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Mars sorry anyway this charming couple

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were arrested in February 2022 for

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laundering almost 120,000 BTC that was

play04:41

stolen in the bitfinex hack of 2016

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which Ilia later confessed to being

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responsible for and while Heather has

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been released back into the wild on bail

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but we hope not to pick up her rap

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career Ilia is still in jail and

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awaiting further sentencing and by the

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way if you're enjoying the video so far

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help us out by crunching that like

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button to give it a boost also subscribe

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to the channel and ping that

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notification Bell so you don't miss our

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next video and if you're looking to

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maximize your crypto gains then the coin

play05:11

Bureau deals page has you covered we've

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managed to secure trading fee discounts

play05:15

of up to 70% sign up bonuses of up to

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$100,000 as well as discounts on some of

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the best hardware wallets out there the

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link to that is in the description but

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hurry it won't be around forever

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now you may at this point be wondering

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what happens with all this confiscated

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BTC well usually the US government like

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many other governments around the world

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will manage and secure these Assets in

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Cold Storage while investigations are

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ongoing and then convert These funds to

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Fiat either through an exchange or an

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OTC auction in fact between 2014 and

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20123 over $360 million of BTC was sold

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across 11 different different auctions

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funds are then usually directed to law

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enforcement budgets or other public

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services notable BTC sales include those

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of March 2023 when the US sold more than

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51,000 BTC acquired from Jong and more

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recently in June of this year when the

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government moved almost 4,000 BTC to

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coinbase despite this though the US

play06:22

still holds

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23,29 BTC at the time of shooting valued

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at almost $14 billion so then what

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happens next well while it's possible

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that this BTC could be used as a hedge

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against inflation it's unlikely that's

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simply because $14 billion is nothing

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compared to the Federal Reserves balance

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sheet of over $7.5 trillion so what's

play06:50

more likely is that the justice

play06:52

department will wait for more regulatory

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Clarity on crypto in general before

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making any major moves this could

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accelerated thanks to crypto becoming a

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talking point of the US presidential

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election campaign though Trump's pick

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for vice president holds BTC after all

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now another known Bitcoin whale is the

play07:12

Chinese government which at one point

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held over 190,000 BTC and it's possible

play07:18

that it's still sitting on that stack to

play07:21

this day this BTC was seized from the

play07:24

plus token scam project for context plus

play07:27

token was set up in 2018 and PR promised

play07:29

abnormally High Returns on investment

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naturally this lured in a slew of

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hopeful investors resulting in an Untold

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number of people getting wrecked in 2020

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Chinese officials arrested over 100

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people involved in plus token including

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82 core team members and 27 people

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accused of being the masterminds behind

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the project ring leaders were jailed for

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up to 11 years and all of the illicit

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crypto gains were seized by the

play07:57

authorities who doesn't love a happy

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ending

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now the confiscated crypto included over

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190,000 BTC as well as more than 830,000

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eth over 487 million xrp and much more

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besides while it's not 100% clear if

play08:14

China still holds this crypto it's

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believed that most if not all of it has

play08:19

already been exchanged anyway as part of

play08:22

the seizure ruling the court said quote

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the seized digital currencies will be

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processed pursuant to laws and the

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proceeds and gains will be forfeited to

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the National treasury in other words

play08:34

they weren't exactly planning on hodling

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to new all-time highs and not only has

play08:38

the Chinese government seized

play08:40

cryptocurrency assets but it's also

play08:42

confiscated crypto equipment in the past

play08:44

as well following a Crackdown on crypto

play08:47

in September 2021 Chinese officials

play08:49

seized more than 3 and a half thousand

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Bitcoin mining rigs in April the

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following year notably the Crackdown was

play08:56

intended to prevent Chinese citizens

play08:59

from Mining and trading crypto but

play09:01

ownership is still legal the reason

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these measures were implemented was

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likely so that China can maintain

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authoritarian control especially through

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the rollout of its digital Yuan cbdc and

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you can learn more about that in one of

play09:15

our previous videos by using the link in

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the description below anyway what's

play09:20

crazy is that despite the ban on crypto

play09:22

mining there has been speculation about

play09:25

Chinese state-owned mining operations

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well it turns out this could very well

play09:30

be more truth than speculation case in

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point in October last year the US was

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keeping a close eye on bit origin a

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Bitcoin mining operation set up near a

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Microsoft facility that supported the

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Pentagon as it turns out it could be

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directly traced back to the Chinese

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government not only did this present a

play09:49

threat to US National Security but it

play09:51

goes without saying that it rather goes

play09:53

against China's stance on cryptocurrency

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now what China will actually do with any

play09:59

mined crypto remains unclear but it's

play10:01

likely that any mined BTC would be sold

play10:04

off at the first opportunity in much the

play10:06

same way as the 190,000 BTC seized from

play10:10

plus token was if China were then to

play10:12

wait until market conditions were

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favorable before offloading any BTC well

play10:17

this would only discredit the

play10:19

government's position further now

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another government with a massive

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Bitcoin stash is none other than the

play10:25

dear old United Kingdom which holds over

play10:28

61,000 000 BTC this crypto was seized by

play10:32

London's Metropolitan Police from a UK

play10:34

citizen named Gian Wen who was found

play10:37

guilty of laundering funds from an

play10:39

investment fraud operation that took

play10:41

place in China in 2018 Gian Wen was

play10:44

accused of money laundering on behalf of

play10:46

her former employee jumin Chan who goes

play10:50

by the name yadii Jang basically Jung

play10:53

stole money from thousands of people in

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China and then converted these

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ill-gotten gains to BTC she then fled

play11:00

the country and is still on the Run To

play11:03

This Day meanwhile Gian Wen was caught

play11:06

after suspicions were raised about her

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sudden lifestyle changes for context in

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2017 Wen was living in a flat above the

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Chinese restaurant that she worked in

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then seemingly out of nowhere she

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suddenly started renting a six-bedroom

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house in North London her rent there was

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2,420 per month now either something

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wasn't quite right or well we're all in

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the wrong business anyway reports

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suggest that Wen also used this BTC to

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purchase several multi-million pound

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houses and a load of expensive jewelry

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but the major red flag for the

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authorities was when she tried to

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purchase a 30 million pound Mansion

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using BTC but when asked about how she'd

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managed to make so much money she

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couldn't give an answer while on trial

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when pleaded not guilty saying she was

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actually evicted him and she was only

play12:00

doing as she was told not really the

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best excuse if you ask me she was

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subsequently found guilty in March 2024

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for knowingly helping convert jong's BTC

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Into Cash property jewelry and other

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luxury items she was sentenced to 6

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years and 8 months imprisonment in may

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now the victims of this fraud have

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appealed to Beijing to get the UK to

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return their stolen BTC while it's

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estimated that yadii Jang had stolen

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funds from just under 130,000 people the

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Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

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who are assisting with the refund

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process has put the number closer to

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207,000 victims yikes for now all 61,2

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45 BTC have remained dormant the crown

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prosecution service said in March that

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it had launched a civil recovery

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investigation that could result in its

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forfeiture but didn't give a clear time

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scale the wait for this is even more

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daunting when you consider a new UK law

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that came into effect from April this

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year basically the National Crime agency

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or NCA and the police have been

play13:09

authorized to quote seize freeze and

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Destroy cryptocurrency used by criminals

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police can transfer these illicit funds

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to a wallet under their control and

play13:19

fraud victims will have to apply to have

play13:22

it returned of course this isn't the

play13:24

only time crypto has been seized in the

play13:26

UK in June 2021 the Metropolitan Police

play13:30

also confiscated around4 Million worth

play13:33

of crypto as part of a money laundering

play13:35

investigation although it isn't clear

play13:37

what crypto was actually seized at the

play13:39

time this marked a record for the

play13:41

largest ever seizure of crypto Assets in

play13:44

the UK that record was beaten just a few

play13:47

weeks later though because in the

play13:49

following month of July police then

play13:51

seized a further 180 million worth of

play13:54

crypto related to the same investigation

play13:57

kind of makes you wonder if they really

play13:58

managed to get it all this time or if

play14:00

there's still someone out there with a

play14:02

secret stash somewhere in any case this

play14:05

was an insane amount of crypto to be

play14:07

seized and as a not so fun fact February

play14:11

2022 also saw the UK government seize

play14:14

nfts for the first time ever in an

play14:17

investigation involving tax fraud now

play14:20

all of these assets were sold off after

play14:22

the investigations were finalized and

play14:25

this is what makes it difficult for

play14:26

those fraud victims we mentioned a

play14:28

moment ago

play14:29

that's because the Metropolitan Police

play14:31

have said that Chinese authorities have

play14:33

yet to ask for this stolen BTC to be

play14:36

returned if UK authorities determine

play14:38

that nobody is entitled to the stolen

play14:40

assets they'll be sold off in the same

play14:43

way as in these other cases with half of

play14:45

the funds going to the police and the

play14:47

other half going to the home office

play14:49

let's hope it doesn't come to that and

play14:52

last on the list of government whales is

play14:55

Ukraine albeit for very different

play14:56

reasons as you'll probably know the conf

play14:59

conflict between Russia and Ukraine has

play15:00

resulted in many people donating various

play15:03

cryptocurrencies to help Ukraine with

play15:05

military and humanitarian funding while

play15:08

it's unclear how much was raised in

play15:10

total a coindesk article from July last

play15:12

year suggested that Ukraine had raised

play15:14

over $225 Million worth of crypto from

play15:17

supporters around the world These funds

play15:20

included $83 million in usdt $79 Million

play15:24

worth of eth and $41 Million worth of

play15:27

BTC with plenty of other CP being

play15:29

donated to just imagine if everyone who

play15:32

donated had tried to do so through the

play15:35

banking system but if you thought that

play15:37

was crazy these donations aren't even

play15:39

the reason why Ukraine made it onto this

play15:42

list in April 2021 the Ukrainian

play15:45

government released a data report that

play15:47

indicated that public officials owned

play15:49

over 46,000 BTC between them more

play15:52

specifically 700,000 officials made

play15:55

property declarations and of those 650 2

play15:59

declared that they owned BTC the average

play16:02

amount between each of these was 71 BTC

play16:06

each some of these officials were true

play16:09

Bitcoin Wales several individuals said

play16:11

they owned over 5,000 BTC one individual

play16:14

even reported owning 18,000 BTC which is

play16:18

worth well over $1.1 billion at the time

play16:21

of shooting truly mindblowing stuff of

play16:24

course the Ukrainian government has the

play16:26

same obligations as every other

play16:27

government around the world and so

play16:29

naturally this means that crypto has

play16:31

also been seized from those involved in

play16:33

illicit activities a recent instance of

play16:36

this was in December last year when

play16:37

officials from the National

play16:39

anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine seized

play16:41

around $1.5 Million worth of crypto from

play16:44

Ukraine's former Head of State

play16:46

Communications this consisted of around

play16:49

$1.2 million of usdt and 7 BTC and in

play16:54

July of 2021 a strange turn of events

play16:56

unfolded as Ukrainian police raped

play16:58

needed a supposedly empty Warehouse to

play17:00

find that it contained nearly 5,000

play17:03

Computing units mining Bitcoin including

play17:07

around 3,800 PS4 consoles now I'm not

play17:11

sure how well a PS4 could mine BTC but

play17:14

then I guess that's why there were so

play17:16

many of them I mean at least they would

play17:18

have stacked better than the oddly

play17:20

shaped PS5 but well I digress anyway

play17:24

this mining rig would have lost more

play17:27

money than it gained had it not been for

play17:29

the illegal miners manipulation of

play17:32

electricity meters to steal the power

play17:34

they needed this stolen electricity was

play17:36

estimated to be worth between 180 and

play17:40

$260,000 and its theft had the potential

play17:43

to cause electrical shortages for an

play17:46

entire city now all of this begs the

play17:50

question of how this will affect the

play17:52

crypto Market in the coming weeks and

play17:54

months well it goes without saying that

play17:56

any government holding seized crypto

play17:58

including those not mentioned in today's

play18:00

video is likely to sell at some point

play18:03

depending on the government in question

play18:05

this could suppress the markets in much

play18:07

the same way as we've seen with the

play18:09

recent sales from the German government

play18:11

that said there's always the chance that

play18:13

some of these governments could opt for

play18:15

keeping their crypto Holdings as a

play18:17

reserve to prop up their local Fiat

play18:19

currencies if you watched our recent

play18:21

video about when governments could start

play18:24

buying BTC you'll know that BTC in

play18:27

particular holds several key advant ages

play18:29

that could make it the ideal currency

play18:31

reserve and of course you can learn more

play18:32

about that by following the link in the

play18:34

description below regardless the

play18:36

slightest whiff of government selling

play18:38

BTC is likely to cause enough fud in the

play18:41

markets to cause more damage than the

play18:44

selling itself that's simply because the

play18:46

markets cannot stand uncertainty if the

play18:49

crypto Market was Superman then

play18:51

uncertainty would be it's Kryptonite and

play18:54

SPF would probably be Lex Luthor orbe it

play18:56

he'd need a long overdue haircut for

play18:58

that gig anywh who this is actually

play19:01

something that we spoke about in our

play19:02

recent Mount Go video the fud thing that

play19:05

is not the weird Superman reference I'll

play19:08

remind you that the link to that video

play19:09

is in the description as well of course

play19:12

while governments continue to hold

play19:14

massive stacks of SATs the concerns that

play19:16

they might decide to offload them will

play19:18

always be hanging over the crypto Market

play19:21

however if regulations continue to

play19:23

develop in the same way that we're

play19:25

currently seeing around the world then

play19:27

there's always the possibility ability

play19:29

that governments could decide to buy

play19:31

more a lot more in fact because their

play19:33

central banks would have the power to

play19:35

print enough money to buy up enough BTC

play19:39

to make it a true Reserve currency but

play19:42

well let's not get ahead of ourselves

play19:44

realistically governments would probably

play19:46

opt to mine BTC rather than buy it it's

play19:49

even possible that they would try to

play19:50

seize more BTC from their citizens by

play19:53

making it illegal to self- custody if

play19:56

this sounds familiar that's because the

play19:58

US government did something similar with

play20:00

gold in the 1930s topic for another time

play20:04

and another video anyhow there are two

play20:06

big bullish catalysts on the horizon for

play20:09

crypto from a governmental perspective

play20:11

one is that the likely next president of

play20:14

the United States has come out in

play20:15

support of the industry and appointed a

play20:17

VP who seems to be even more

play20:20

crypto-friendly if Trump returns to the

play20:23

White House that should in theory pave

play20:25

the way for positive crypto regulations

play20:28

in the world's largest economy then

play20:31

there's the oft forgotten fact that as

play20:33

of January the 1st 2025 central banks

play20:37

will be permitted to hold up to 2% of

play20:40

their reserves in crypto you don't need

play20:42

to be an economist to know that that

play20:45

adds up to a potentially awfully large

play20:47

amount of money and so who knows maybe

play20:50

governments might be about to start

play20:53

buying rather than selling so buckle up

play20:57

things could be a about to get

play21:00

wild okay that's all for today's video

play21:02

folks if you enjoyed it smash those like

play21:05

And subscribe buttons and turn on those

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notifications so you don't miss our next

play21:08

one if you know someone who would love

play21:11

content like this well consider taking a

play21:13

second to share this video with them

play21:15

also don't forget to check out the coin

play21:16

Bureau deals page where you can find

play21:18

trading fee discounts of up to 70% and

play21:20

sign up bonuses of up to $100,000 only

play21:23

for the viewers of this channel the link

play21:25

to that is in the description below

play21:27

thank you all so much for watching and

play21:29

we will see you in the next one until

play21:31

then this is Guy signing off

play21:37

[Music]

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