Taiwan’s justice ministry holds seized BTC and stablecoins as lawmakers debate BTC as a reserve asset and regulators advance a strict stablecoin framework.
Summary
- Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice controls 210.45 BTC and about NT$1.3b in seized crypto, mostly dollar-pegged stablecoins plus ETH, BNB, Tron and Livepeer.
- The disclosure fuels a political fight over treating Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset, with lawmaker Ko Ju-Chun urging its inclusion in national reserves.
- Taiwan’s central bank and FSC are pushing tighter stablecoin rules and a VASP law, with any local stablecoin launch unlikely before late 2026.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice disclosed that it currently holds 210.45 BTC seized during criminal investigations, according to government records.
The digital assets, classified as proceeds of crime, remain under state custody while authorities assess future management options, government officials stated. No final decision has been made regarding their disposition, though options under consideration include liquidation through public auctions with proceeds allocated to state coffers.
The holding could rank Taiwan eighth globally in government bitcoin holdings, according to data analysis.
Bitcoin represents a fraction of the digital assets controlled by Taiwanese authorities. The Ministry of Justice’s inventory shows the total value of seized cryptocurrencies amounts to approximately 1.3 billion New Taiwan dollars, calculated at market prices at the time of disclosure.
Stablecoins account for the largest share by volume, with substantial holdings of U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins. Reserves also include Ether and smaller holdings of other cryptocurrencies including Binance Coin, Tron and Livepeer, according to the ministry.
Taiwan and bitcoin holdings
The Ministry of Justice stated that these holdings stem from efforts to standardize procedures for the seizure, custody and disposal of digital assets throughout the judicial process.
The disclosure has sparked political debate over whether the government should consider bitcoin 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,” said Ko, vice co-chair of the USA-Taiwan Caucus in the Legislative Yuan, during a general financial interpellation session.
In November, Taiwan’s central bank called for stricter oversight of stablecoin licensing, recommending that issuers hold part of their reserves with the central bank itself. The institution requested a formal role in supervising 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 in a third reading during the next legislative session. Specific stablecoin regulations would follow within six months, placing the potential launch of a local stablecoin no earlier than the end of 2026, according to Peng.
