# This Week in Crypto: US government approves Bitcoin sale

> This week in crypto: US court greenlights sale of Silk Road Bitcoin, marking a significant moment in cryptocurrency history.

News · 2 min read

Published 9 January 2025 Updated 15 February 2026

This week in crypto, the U.S. government has received court approval to sell 69,370 Bitcoin seized from the Silk Road dark web marketplace. This historic seizure, worth approximately $6.5 billion, concludes a four-year legal battle. The Justice Department will now liquidate the Bitcoin, marking the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. history. This decision follows the denial of a motion to block the forfeiture and clears the path for the government to proceed with the sale.

MicroStrategy further solidified its position as the largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder by acquiring 2,138 BTC for approximately $209 million, bringing its total holdings to over 446,400 BTC. This purchase, funded through the sale of company shares, reinforces MicroStrategy's long-term commitment to Bitcoin as a strategic asset, despite the inherent market volatility.

**[THORChain](/buy/rune/)**, the decentralised exchange renowned for its cross-chain capabilities, announced the integration of **Base**, a Layer 2 scaling solution built on Ethereum. This key development is set to make cross-chain swaps more efficient and cost-effective, particularly for ETH-BTC transactions. With **Base's** faster transaction speeds and lower fees, THORChain aims to improve the user experience and attract a broader audience to its platform.

Anticipation continues to build around the **[Jupiter](/buy/jup/)** airdrop, which will distribute 700 million **JUP** tokens on the **Solana** network. This decentralised exchange has shared details of the airdrop, including staking rewards designed to encourage long-term holding and prevent large-scale sell-offs after the initial distribution. As a result, the **Jupiter** ecosystem has seen a surge in user activity and engagement.

The legal battles surrounding **Do Kwon**, the founder of the collapsed **Terra** ecosystem, took a new turn this week with a second hearing. Fresh fraud charges were brought against him, intensifying the ongoing legal scrutiny within the crypto space. The outcome of this case has the potential to influence the future of cryptocurrency regulation and set important precedents for the accountability of project founders.

Ethereum transaction fees have dropped to their lowest levels in months, following a recent software upgrade. This reduction in fees is seen as a major win for users and developers alike, making the Ethereum network more accessible and cost-effective for a wider range of applications. The move is expected to boost activity across the network, attracting both new and existing participants.

Bitcoin's price continued to experience significant fluctuations throughout the week, driven by a mix of macroeconomic factors, shifting market sentiment, and global events. This ongoing volatility remains a hallmark of the cryptocurrency market, creating both opportunities and risks for investors as they navigate the space.

- **Bitcoin briefly surpasses $100,000:** Marking a significant milestone in the crypto market.

- **Crypto market volatility continues:** Prices fluctuate significantly, driven by various factors including economic news and investor sentiment.

- **SEC Chair Gensler reiterates concerns about crypto regulation:** Emphasizing the need for a clearer regulatory framework.

- **[Aave](/buy/aave/) integrates with [Aptos](/buy/apt/) blockchain:** Expanding its reach and offering users new opportunities.

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*Source: [This Week in Crypto: US government approves Bitcoin sale](/news/this-week-in-crypto-microstrategy-increase-bitcoin-holdings/) · Last updated: 2026-02-15*