Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice has revealed that the government possesses over 210 bitcoin obtained through criminal investigations, positioning the island among the top global government holders of the asset by volume.
This information, verified by legislator Ko Ju-chun, indicates that judicial authorities held 210.45 BTC as of October 31. At current market values, this BTC is approximately worth $18 million. According to data from Bitcoin Treasuries, this ranks Taiwan as the 10th-largest government holder of BTC worldwide.
Ko stated that the information was made public in response to a legislative inquiry and shared an image documenting the total amount held under state control. The ministry noted that these bitcoins were confiscated in cases associated with financial crimes and unlawful digital asset activities.
In November, Taiwan’s Premier and Central Bank reportedly agreed to research Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, develop pro-Bitcoin regulations, and initiate BTC treasury holdings, beginning with seized BTC that is ‘awaiting auction.’
While numerous countries have accumulated BTC through enforcement actions, very few have offered clear guidelines on custody standards or developed long-term policies.
The Ministry of Justice did not specify any intentions to liquidate, auction, or convert the seized BTC into fiat currency. Officials also did not reveal where or how the BTC is stored, nor whether it is retained through self-custody or third-party services.
United States’ bitcoin holdings from seizures
The United States, leading global government BTC holdings with over 328,000 BTC, has seized cryptocurrency associated with cybercrime and fraud cases. China and the United Kingdom follow as the next largest holders after the U.S.
In total, governments across the globe hold more than 640,000 BTC, approximately 3% of bitcoin’s total supply, according to public data. Most of these assets originate from law enforcement seizures rather than formal reserve policies.
Taiwan has not expressed any plans to incorporate BTC into its national reserves.
Nonetheless, the disclosure occurs amid wider discussions in the country regarding digital asset regulation and the handling of confiscated cryptocurrency. Lawmakers have urged agencies to clarify whether seized assets should be sold, kept, or managed within a standardized framework.
The Ministry of Justice stated that the BTC was acquired as part of its broader initiative to track and process virtual assets linked to criminal proceedings.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is priced near $88,000.
