Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice has disclosed that the government holds more than 210 bitcoin seized through criminal investigations, placing the island among the world’s top government holders of the asset by volume.
The disclosure, confirmed by legislator Ko Ju-chun, shows that judicial authorities held 210.45 BTC as of Oct. 31. At current market prices, their BTC is worth about $18 million. According to data from Bitcoin Treasuries, this would put Taiwan as the 10th-largest government holder of BTC globally.
Ko said the information was released in response to a legislative inquiry and shared an image documenting the total amount held under state custody. The ministry said the bitcoin was confiscated in cases tied to financial crime and illegal digital asset activity.
Back in November, Taiwan’s Premier and Central Bank reportedly agreed to study Bitcoin as a strategic reserve, draft pro-Bitcoin regulations, and pilot BTC treasury holdings, starting with seized BTC that is ‘awaiting auction.’
While many countries have accumulated BTC through enforcement actions, few have provided clear guidance on custody standards or long-term policy.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice did not outline any plans to liquidate, auction, or convert the seized BTC into fiat currency. Officials also did not disclose where or how the BTC is custodied, or whether it is held through self-custody or third-party services.
United States’ bitcoin holdings from seizures
The United States, which leads global government BTC holdings with more than 328,000 BTC, has seized crypto linked to cybercrime and fraud cases. China and the United Kingdom rank next after the U.S.
Collectively, governments worldwide hold more than 640,000 BTC, or about 3% of bitcoin’s total supply, according to public data. Most of these holdings stem from law enforcement seizures rather than formal reserve strategies.
Taiwan has not announced any intention to adopt BTC as part of its national reserves.
Still, the disclosure lands amid broader debates in the country over digital asset regulation and the treatment of confiscated crypto. Lawmakers have pressed agencies to clarify whether seized assets should be sold, retained, or managed under a standardized framework.
The Ministry of Justice said the BTC was obtained as part of its broader effort to track and process virtual assets tied to criminal proceedings.
At the time of writing, the price of Bitcoin is near $88,000.
Source: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/taiwan-reveals-it-holds-210-bitcoin
