Bitcoin News: U.S. Moves $1.5B in BTC as Price Tests $81K

Bitcoin news focused on another large movement from U.S. government-linked wallets as BTC fell toward the low-$81,000 region. On-chain trackers recorded roughly 17,795 BTC moving across three days, with the combined value near $1.5 billion.

The transactions included Bitcoin connected with the Bitfinex recovery and several other federal seizure cases. Some of the latest coins reached Coinbase Prime, but no government agency has confirmed a sale.

Bitcoin News: U.S. Moves 17,795 BTC in Three Days

Government-linked wallets have moved 12,267 BTC in recent transactions, according to Arkham data. The latest activity follows a separate movement of 833.6 BTC on October 7, when the US government also transferred 40,285 BNB connected to seized assets.

Galaxy Research tracked 9,261 BTC moving to Coinbase Prime across two days. Around half of that Bitcoin came from assets recovered after the 2016 Bitfinex hack, while another 2,456 BTC came from wallets that had not previously carried a government attribution label.

The unidentified Bitcoin may relate to newer law enforcement seizures. However, no statement from the Department of Justice or the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed a new seizure involving those coins at the time of the report.

Coinbase Prime Transfer Does Not Confirm Bitcoin Sale

The movement of Bitcoin to Coinbase Prime has attracted attention because the platform provides institutional custody and trading services. However, a deposit does not establish that the government sold the transferred assets.

The US Marshals Service selected Coinbase Prime in 2024 to provide custody and advanced trading services for large-cap digital assets held through the federal asset-forfeiture system. Government-held coins can therefore enter Coinbase Prime for custody, administration, settlement, or other purposes without immediately reaching the open market.

Recent Bitcoin news also includes BTC tied to the Bitfinex recovery. Federal authorities seized more than 94,000 BTC in 2022 after recovering access to a wallet containing part of the stolen funds. A federal court later ordered 94,643 BTC and related forked assets returned to Bitfinex as part of restitution proceedings.

Galaxy estimates that government-linked addresses hold about 319,086 BTC across seizure-related wallets. The estimate includes assets associated with the Prince Group and the LuBian case, as well as Bitcoin recovered from the Bitfinex hack.

The latest Bitcoin news does not establish that the US government plans to sell its BTC reserve.

Bitcoin Price Falls as Government Transfers Pressure on Sentiment

Bitcoin price remains under pressure after failing to sustain the recent recovery. The key area for traders now sits between $81,500 and $82,000. A sustained move below that zone could leave Bitcoin vulnerable to deeper losses.

Market trader Ted Pillows expects Bitcoin to reach $78,000 during October. His forecast also identifies $75,000 as a possible downside level if the Bitcoin price loses the $ 81,500 area before a stronger recovery develops.

Bitcoin’s price was around $81,812 in the latest market data, down about 1.97% over 24 hours. The market had also traded near $80,500 during the session, keeping the lower levels in focus.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Blockchain transfers do not confirm asset sales, while Bitcoin prices and technical levels may change as market conditions evolve.