The U.S. government has bolstered its Bitcoin holdings significantly with the seizure of 127,271 BTC (valued at approximately $15 billion) belonging to Chinese businessman Chen Zhi. This brings the total value of US Bitcoin reserves to over $37 billion, making it one of the largest public Bitcoin investments globally. 2023 marks a significant shift as the U.S. maintains its current stance on not selling any of its acquired BTC. This seizure, conducted by the Department of Justice (DoJ), is the largest in DoJ history and reflects their ongoing efforts to combat cryptocurrency fraud. Chen Zhi was apprehended for orchestrating ‘pig butchering’ schemes, where he forced individuals into labor camps throughout Cambodia to participate in these fraudulent crypto operations that targeted victims both in the U.S. and internationally. 100+ shell companies were used to launder the stolen funds from this operation.