Maduro's Bitcoin Hunt: How Much BTC Could Trump Get?

While geopoliticians debate the future of Venezuelan oil following a high-profile US special operation, the crypto community is waiting in anticipation for a different cut of the pie. The arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to the United States in early January 2026 raised questions not only about political transition but also about the fate of the colossal digital assets accumulated by the regime over years of evading sanctions.

A Strategic Reserve at Someone Else's Expense

The Donald Trump administration is no longer hiding its ambitions: the US is officially establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. However, instead of inflating the national debt through open market purchases, the Treasury Department has placed its bets on "trophy" crypto.

Washington's position is simple: the reserve must be replenished through confiscations. And Venezuelan assets appear to be the most tempting target. For years, Maduro has used cryptocurrency as a financial backdoor, and now the keys to this entrance may end up in the hands of US marshals.

How much bitcoin is hidden in Caracas?

No one knows the exact figures outside of a small circle of people currently under investigation. However, blockchain analytics experts (Chainalysis and others) are making bold guesses.

1. Petro's Legacy: After the failure of the national cryptocurrency, the Petro, the regime switched to BTC and USDT. Estimates range from 10,000 to 50,000 BTC, which ended up in state wallets.
2. Mining under the Wings of the Military: Venezuela was one of the few countries where mining was effectively nationalized. The confiscated equipment, which ran on cheap hydroelectric power, could have earned the regime thousands of coins.
3. Drug trafficking and money laundering: Given the charges brought against Maduro in the US, a significant portion of the crypto assets may be of criminal origin, simplifying the process of their legal seizure.
4. The tracker shows that Venezuela has approximately 240 BTC in its balance. Their approximate value is $22.11 million.

Legal loop and digital keys

The main intrigue is how exactly the US plans to "open" the wallets. Unlike oil rigs, Bitcoin cannot be confiscated simply by military control of the territory. Also, according to some unconfirmed sources, Maduro may hold approximately 600,000 BTC in his account, equivalent to approximately $60 billion in dollar terms.

US intelligence agencies already have experience "persuading" high-ranking prisoners to hand over seed phrases in exchange for lenient conditions of detention or family protection. Considering that Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, was detained along with him, prosecutors have more than enough leverage.

What does this mean for the market?

If the US succeeds in confiscating Venezuela's assets and transferring them to its reserves, it will set a global precedent. This is a bullish signal for Bitcoin: the coins won't be dumped on the market (as the German government did), but will be stored "forever" in the US Treasury.

The hunt for Maduro's Bitcoin is officially open, and its outcome could make Trump the owner of one of the largest crypto portfolios in history. We'll monitor the market situation and keep you informed of any further developments.