US Seizes Nearly $1 Billion in Iranian Crypto Assets, Treasury Secretary Says

The United States has seized close to $1 billion worth of crypto linked to Iran, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The figure marks a major increase from an earlier estimate shared just weeks ago, when officials reported nearly $500 million in seized digital assets.

Speaking at the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum, Bessent said Iran had allegedly been generating between $400 million and $500 million every month through sanctions evasion activities. He described the money as funds taken from the Iranian people and said U.S. authorities had directly taken control of several crypto wallets.

Scott Bessent Says Wallets Were Directly Seized

Bessent stated that American agencies had “grabbed the wallets,” suggesting some wallet holders may not yet realize their assets have been seized.

Seized Bitcoin Supports US Digital Asset Reserve

The Treasury Secretary also repeated the government’s position on Bitcoin reserves. Instead of purchasing Bitcoin from the market, the U.S. plans to grow its digital asset reserve through confiscated crypto holdings.

Government-linked wallets currently hold around 328,372 Bitcoin, valued at more than $24 billion at current prices.