The U.S. Department of Justice seized over one billion dollars (22.5 billion crowns) in bitcoins during the week. She informed about it CNBC television station.
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It was a transaction that the US control authorities linked to the now non-existent illegal internet marketplace Silk Road, translated as the Silk Road. The unprecedented blockade of thousands of bitcoins represents the largest cryptocurrent confiscation in the history of the US Department of Justice.
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“Silk Road was at one time the most well-known criminal Internet marketplace,” US lawyer David Anderson said in a civil complaint on Thursday. “The successful prosecution of its founder in 2015 left a billion dollar question. Where did all the money go? ”
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At the beginning of the week, 69,369 bitcoins left the cryptocurrency wallet with the fourth highest balance in the world. The massive transaction was recorded by the London company Elliptic, which specializes in the analysis of cryptocurrency technologies.
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Elliptic reported the transaction to the US government. Subsequently, the US Treasury Unit, which handles the tracking of illegal transactions, was able to identify the bitcoin address that ordered the transaction. It was supposed to be an unknown hacker who gained access to Silk Road’s finances.
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A massive sum of bitcoins is now in the hands of the US government. The US Department of Justice claims that these funds are subject to forfeiture. “Criminal proceeds should not remain in the hands of thieves.” she said according to the BBC IRS Special Agent Kelly Jackson.
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The Silk Road Marketplace was founded by the American Ross Ulbricht in 2011. Until its capture in 2013, Silk Road functioned as a huge internet bazaar, where more than 100,000 anonymous users first traded in illegal drugs, and later in other illegal services, including ordering murder. .
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It is estimated that during the operation of Silk Road, its users made transactions worth a total of 9.5 million bitcoins (at the current exchange rate, this would be over 3 trillion crowns). The marketplace operated on the so-called dark website, a hidden part of the Internet that is popular for running illegal shops due to the anonymity of users.
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Ulbricht is now serving two life sentences for money laundering, hacking and drug trafficking.
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