The US Department of Justice has seized its largest-ever bitcoin trove, worth $14.4 billion, in a complex case against Chen Zhi, accused of orchestrating a global crypto scam. This unprecedented seizure sparks a debate: should the confiscated funds compensate victims or bolster the country’s strategic Bitcoin reserve? 14.4 billion dollars in bitcoin were seized from Chen Zhi, founder of the Prince Holding Group, in a massive takedown of his alleged crypto scam network based in Cambodia. The action brings the government’s total holdings to over $36 billion in Bitcoin, according to estimates. Senator Cynthia Lummis advocates for direct use of these funds to strengthen the U.S.’s proposed Bitcoin strategic reserve, aiming for an injection of over $100 billion dollars into the reserve as advocated by former President Trump. However, compensating scam victims could take years due to the intricate international money laundering network involved.