While seemingly a large detractor the FBI owns over 174,000 Bitcoins in wallets they control. This is over $185,501,400 in USD (and growing daily).
However the FBI didn't buy in from any exchange, or trade their services for payment in Bitcoin ... these are 'stolen goods'. Or rather, they are funds that were seized as being illegal and therefore revert to the ownership of the FBI. As the old adage goes, "Your keys, Your Bitcoin"
The FBI seized 144,000 coins in this wallet : Silk/FBI Wallet
and seized another 30,000 coins earlier from this wallet : Silk/FBI Wallet 2
Both of these coins are within the FBI's hands from the seizure of the infamous Silk Road in 2013. We know they have full access to these coins when they were moved on 10/25/2013
However ... the Silk Road had over 600,000 Bitcoin at this time, which leaves 489,000 Bitcoins locked into the encrypted wallet of Ross Ulbricht. Without the private key the FBI cannot access these coins. (Your Keys, Your Coin) The 144,000 coin value was in escrow and able to be accessed without this key
That value of unclaimed coins is equal to $5,214,011,400 today (5.2 Billion)
How strong is the encryption on that private key vs. a $5 billion incentive? .... At the time of seizure in 2013 it wasn't worth that much .... however now that the price as skyrocketed, do you think the FBI will pressure Ross Ulbricht to release his private key to access the coins?
Does the FBI deserve 5.2 billion? Should Ross release his key? Do you think they'll be able to crack the private key by brute-force?
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