DOJ targets 127,271 BTC in Iran forfeiture push

The US Department of Justice has filed forfeiture complaints targeting more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency allegedly tied to the Iranian government — approximately 127,271 BTC and 442,534 USDT$0.9991▼0.01%. The filings put specific amounts and, in the USDT complaint, a statutory basis on paper behind a seizure campaign previously described publicly by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The Bitcoin forfeiture filing covers approximately 127,271 BTC. A separate USDT complaint covers approximately 442,534 USDT and cites 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) as the statutory basis for forfeiture.

The USDT was seized by the FBI on or about June 4, 2026. Valued at approximately $442,505.68 on that date, it was transferred to a virtual-currency wallet under US control. That complaint is dated October 9, 2026.

The following day, a notice was filed in the Eastern District of New York in the Bitcoin case.

The US government holds approximately 328,372 BTC; 127,271 BTC equals about 38.8% of that current holding (127,271 ÷ 328,372 × 100). That’s a calculation from the reported figures, not a valuation at any particular market price.

The filings come after Bessent’s public estimates climbed steeply between spring and early summer. On April 29, he said the US had seized “nearly $500 million” in Iranian crypto assets. By May 29, that figure had reached approximately $1 billion. The May 29 report from The Block also noted BTC trading at around $73,500 at the time and cited the US government’s assessment that Iran was pulling in $400 million to $500 million per month through sanctions evasion.

Bessent described the seizures as part of a broader pressure campaign at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum: “We are freezing bank accounts everywhere. More importantly, we are making people less willing to deal with the regime.” He also outlined the administration’s stated intentions for the seized Bitcoin: “The policy of this government is to add seized bitcoin to our digital asset reserve after the damages are done.”