The US Department of Justice said on 6 November it had seized cryptocurrency once valued at $3.36bn from a Georgia man who pleaded guilty to stealing bitcoin from the Silk Road online marketplace.

The cryptocurrency seizure, which took place in November 2021 and hadn’t been publicly announced, is the second largest in Justice Department history. The government is seeking the forfeiture of the seized bitcoin, which has declined significantly in value since the seizure and is now worth about $1bn.