2013-12-19 Voiceofrussia.com - FBI is top stakeholder in cryptocurrency

[Athom]

A newly released report points out that the FBI is now holds authority over two wallets holding bitcoin worth in the ballpark of 120 million dollars. That grand total would make the government agency the second biggest bitcoin holder, with Satoshi Nakamoto, the currency’s inventor, having the most.
Presently, 12 million bitcoins are in circulation and the FBI’s find from the Silk Road seizure means that the FBI has more than Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The Winklevoss twins, who came into the spotlight when they sued Mark Zuckerberg for supposedly snatching up their idea for Facebook, said in July of this year that they had taken control of roughly one percent of all bitcoins.
The FBI currently owns 1.5 percent of all bitcoins in the world, according to Forbes. Fewer than a quarter million people have just one bitcoin, but the amount of account holders with just a single coin has gone from 159,916 to 246,377.
The currency has been gaining popularity with internet figures as it is close to impossible to track. Bitcoin was the only form of payment accepted for all sales on the Silk Road, where consumers bought drugs, child porn, weapons, or even contacted a hit man.
The FBI has a part of Dread Pirate Roberts’ personal fund which in total is worth around 28.5 million dollars. Even though they had some trouble with Roberts' encryption, the FBI was able to infiltrate the private wallet. It is noteworthy to highlight, that is just around 20 percent of Roberts’ wallet. Most of his riches are splashed across other wallets that the FBI has been unable to obtain.
Roberts (DPR), Ulbricht is being blamed for taking a seven percent commission for each transaction completed on the Silk Road. Researchers found out in November that the DPR-managed accounts only get income during certain times of the year, suggesting that DPR deposited coins into various accounts during the year.
“Assuming that DPR continued to receive at least some commissions from Silk Road during these months,” the researchers wrote, “it seems likely that he was simply using a different computer during these periods, which the FBI had not found or was unable to penetrate.”
Voice of Russia, RT

Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_12_19/FBI-is-top-stakeholder-in-crytocurrency-with-largest-bitcoin-account-4890/

[1713580969]

1713580969

[bryant.coleman]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

[notthematrix]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

DPR has 600.000 btc , the fbi only got 144.000 of his siezed.
the fbi is the bigest KNOWN wallet.
 

[nairb131]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

Technically it is seized assets and they cannot sell it...yet.

[TooCasual]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

Technically it is seized assets and they cannot sell it...yet.

Exactly... They cannot "sell-off" any type of assets until the court rulings.  

This could take a year or two...

End of story.

TC.

[AirFlame]

Thank God they don't have 51% of the bitcoin in the world

[exstasie]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

I guess that makes sense.  Though I'm sure that they can just contact some at the NSA to provide them the private keys...i'm sure there's a way if they really wanted them.

[MAbtc]

I am not sure that the FBI is having the private keys / passwords to the wallets which they control. I am quite suspicious.... because if they had them, they would have already sold the coins.

Technically it is seized assets and they cannot sell it...yet.

Exactly... They cannot "sell-off" any type of assets until the court rulings.  

This could take a year or two...

End of story.

TC.

Actually, legally, they can (if you mean conviction). Criminal forfeiture is not necessary.

But they won't go this route.

[bryant.coleman]

DPR has 600.000 btc , the fbi only got 144.000 of his siezed.
the fbi is the bigest KNOWN wallet.

Then this news is wrong. This makes the FBI the owner of the largest wallet. But it will not make them the top stakeholder. That post is still held by Satoshi, isn't it?