The US Justice Department has authorized the seizure of more than $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, along with cash and other assets, in a criminal case against an alleged ransomware operator.
Court documents unsealed Thursday revealed that federal authorities obtained six warrants targeting a crypto wallet allegedly controlled by Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko. Alongside the cryptocurrency, agents seized roughly $70,000 in cash and a luxury vehicle. Antropenko faces charges of conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors allege that the seized funds are tied to ransomware activity and were laundered through various channels, including the now-defunct cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was dismantled in a coordinated international operation in 2023. According to the Justice Department, Antropenko also converted digital assets into cash and made structured deposits to conceal their origins.
This action comes amid a broader US government effort to add seized digital assets to its national cryptocurrency reserve, established under a 2020 executive order. Earlier this week, officials announced the confiscation of approximately $1 million in crypto from the ransomware group BlackSuit. In April, the Dallas FBI seized $2.4 million in Bitcoin in a separate case.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the government does not plan to purchase Bitcoin for its reserves but will seek “budget-neutral pathways” to acquire it. The national stockpile currently consists primarily of assets recovered in criminal cases, valued at about $20 billion after victim compensation. Based on Thursday’s Bitcoin price of $117,387, estimates place the federal holdings at roughly 198,012 BTC — worth over $23 billion.
The Justice Department’s latest seizure underscores Washington’s ongoing push to dismantle illicit crypto networks while expanding its reserve of digital assets.
