German Government’s Bitcoin Sale Costs Up to $2.8B Amid Rally

- Germany sold 50,000 seized Bitcoin, generating $2.9 billion but missing $1.7–$2.8 billion in potential profits. - Analysts attribute losses to poor timing during a Bitcoin market surge. The German government seized 50,000 Bitcoin from the operators of Movie2k.to and later sold these assets for approximately $2.9 billion. However, reports suggest the government missed significant profit opportunities due to its timing decisions. The government liquidated the seized Bitcoin throughout the summer of 2024, and market analysts quickly highlighted potential profit losses, noting the sales occurred during lower trading conditions. On November 12, 2024, Coin Edition reported that the sales occurred at a price below $54,000 per coin, which led to an estimated $1.7 billion in missed profits during Bitcoin’s post-election rally. As Bitcoin’s value climbed over $70,000, reports in May 2025 from CoinoMedia and Bitget News provided higher missed-profit estimates of up to $2.8 billion. Subsequently, on July 11, 2025, Watcher.Guru also reported the $2.8 billion figure, and on the same day, ChainCatcher confirmed similar numbers, citing Watcher.Guru data. The government, which had confiscated the assets in January 2024, directed them to major exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Bitstamp for liquidation in June. According to Watcher.Guru, specific sales events followed. For instance, on July 8, 2024, Germany sold 2,738.7 BTC for $155.3 million, followed by a single-day sale of 17,000 BTC for $951 million. By July 11, Germany’s Bitcoin reserves had dropped to under 5,000 BTC, and the government concluded the liquidation on July 12, with total sales reaching $2.9 billion. Reports consistently identify poor market timing as the central reason for the missed profits. Estimates ranged from $1.7 billion in 2024 to the $2.8 billion figure published in 2025. Some outlets initially cited figures as high as $3.1 billion; however, these reports remain unverified and appear overstated when compared to official data. On July 11, 2025, CoinMarketCap reported that Bitcoin (BTC) was trading at $115,887.316 as of 02:04 UTC. This price represented a 4.08% increase in its 24-hour trading volume.