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The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently revealed it seized more than $1.7 million worth of cryptocurrencies between March and July 2022. The confiscated digital assets consist primarily of Ethereum’s native token, ETH.
According to an FBI forfeiture notice, around $800,000 of the seized crypto holdings were Ethereum tokens. The largest single seizure occurred in the Eastern District of Virginia, where ETH worth $463,811 was confiscated. This highlights the FBI’s capabilities and commitment to pursuing crypto-related criminal activities.
The states of Florida and Virginia saw the most cryptocurrency seizures overall. While ETH dominated, stablecoins were also targeted – most notably $469,000 worth of DAI stablecoin taken in Virginia.
FBI seizure list also includes Dogecoin
Even meme token Dogecoin found itself on the FBI’s seizure list, with approximately $200 worth confiscated. Privacy-focused Monero saw $20,000 in seized holdings. And altcoins like Solana and Cardano were also among the diverse mix of digital assets obtained by the agency.
The expanding list of cryptocurrencies seized by the FBI shows that any asset can potentially be involved in unlawful behavior. As adoption increases, analysts expect enhanced oversight and enforcement actions from regulators and law enforcement in the cryptocurrency arena.
The FBI filing indicates that many of the cryptocurrency seizures originated from Binance exchange accounts, with 46 instances listed. As one of the largest global crypto trading platforms, Binance appears to have become a central target in these confiscation efforts.
The high number of seizures related to Binance accounts raises questions about the dynamics between law enforcement and particular exchanges. It suggests a complex interplay between platform policies, user behaviors, and law enforcement monitoring.