Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice has seized BTC and stablecoins, while lawmakers debate BTC as a reserve asset and regulators promote a strict stablecoin framework.
Summary
- Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice controls 210.45 BTC and approximately NT$1.3 billion in seized cryptocurrencies, mainly dollar-pegged stablecoins plus ETH, BNB, Tron and Livepeer.
- The revelation fuels a political battle over Bitcoin’s treatment as a strategic reserve, with lawmaker Ko Ju-Chun pushing for its inclusion in national reserves.
- Taiwan’s central bank and FSC are pushing for stricter regulations on stablecoins and a VASP law, with a local launch of stablecoins unlikely before the end of 2026.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice announced that it has currently seized 210.45 BTC during criminal investigations, according to government data.
The digital assets, classified as proceeds of crime, will remain in state custody while authorities assess future management options, government officials said. No final decision has yet been made on their disposition, although options under consideration include liquidation through public auctions, with the proceeds allocated to the state treasury.
According to data analysis, the holding company could rank Taiwan eighth globally in government bitcoin ownership.
Bitcoin represents a fraction of the digital assets controlled by Taiwanese authorities. The Ministry of Justice’s inventory shows that the total value of the seized cryptocurrencies is approximately 1.3 billion New Taiwan dollars, calculated at market prices at the time of disclosure.
Stablecoins account for the largest share in terms of volume, with a significant holding of stablecoins pegged to the US dollar. According to the ministry, the reserves also include Ether and smaller holdings of other cryptocurrencies, including Binance Coin, Tron and Livepeer.
Taiwan and bitcoin ownership
The Justice Department stated that these assets come from efforts to standardize the procedures for the seizure, custody and disposal of digital assets throughout the judicial process.
The revelation has sparked a political debate over whether the government should consider bitcoin as a strategic asset. Last month, Taiwanese lawmaker Ko Ju-Chun urged policymakers to evaluate the inclusion of bitcoin in national reserves.
“Virtual assets are no longer just speculative commodities, but a new battleground for national security and financial sovereignty,” Ko, vice co-chair of the US-Taiwan Caucus in the Legislative Yuan, said during a general financial interpellation session.
In November, Taiwan’s central bank called for stricter supervision of stablecoin licensing, recommending that issuers keep some of their reserves with the central bank itself. The institution requested a formal role in overseeing stablecoins under the Financial Supervisory Commission’s proposed Virtual Asset Services Act, arguing that its involvement is necessary to assess risks to exchange rate stability and payment system rules.
FSC Chairman Peng Jin-long informed lawmakers that the bill has passed initial reviews and could be approved for a third reading during the next legislative session. Specific stablecoin regulations would follow within six months, putting the potential launch of a local stablecoin no sooner than the end of 2026, Peng said.
