US Government Earns $115 Million from Passive Ethereum Holdings

The U.S. government recently capitalized on its holdings of Ethereum to generate over $115 million in unrealized profits. This was achieved through a clever timing strategy, moving ETH from seized assets to Coinbase before the price surged. The action involved transferring $200,000 worth of ETH at around $2,530, and then strategically withdrawing it after witnessing its rapid rise to over $4,300. These gains were realized by holding the ETH without buying or selling. 76.56 ETH was moved from a wallet linked to the Chase Senecal phishing scam to Coinbase on July 7th, ultimately resulting in a nearly $132,000 realized gain and a substantial increase in value. This is not an anomaly, as the government has previously used similar strategies with Bitcoin, but this particular move serves as a stark reminder of their strategic approach. This action was confirmed by on-chain tools like Arkham and Lookonchain, highlighting the government’s commitment to transparency in handling these assets. 65,000 ETH still remains in government wallets, representing over $23.4 billion in value at present, showcasing a significant unrealized gain from holding this cryptocurrency during its upswings.