USMS awards BitGo a $4.5M contract to help it hold and auction seized crypto

BitGo has won a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to help the law enforcement agency retain and sell seized cryptocurrency. The USMS contracted BitGo for just over $4.5 million.

The notice sought a provider that could account for possible network forks, airdrops and wallet management in addition to basic custody; the agency found that in BitGo for a price of $4,549,672.22. The custodian will hold seized crypto for the agency and assist in any technical aspects of the forfeiture process.

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The USMS awarded the contract yesterday, although it does not indicate the duration of the deal in its notice. BitGo said it was unable to give more information on the deal. The USMS referred all  questions back to the original award notice. 

The USMS first began looking for a crypto firm to provide "the full range of virtual currency management and disposal services" in April of last year. The law enforcement agency manages seized assets from criminal investigations as part of its mandate.

This often results in public auctions of assets, including seized bitcoin. In February of 2020, it auctioned more than 4,000 BTC. Most notably, it auctioned off 30,000 BTC related to the Silk Road case to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper in 2014.

About Author

Aislinn Keely is a reporter on The Block's policy team holding down the legal beat. She covers court decisions, bankruptcies, regulatory actions and other key moments in the legal sphere, putting them in context for the wider crypto industry. Before The Block, she lent her voice to the NPR affiliate WFUV and helmed Fordham University's student newspaper. Send tips or thoughts on all things policy and legal to [email protected] or follow her on Twitter for updates @AislinnKeely.