$606K Bitcoin from Bitfinex hack on the move: Is the U.S. preparing to sell?

The U.S. government moved $606K in Bitcoin to Coinbase Prime on Thursday, the 16th of April.

Although it was not clear whether the transfer was meant for a sell-off or custody purposes, similar past moves were associated with FUD and bearish sentiment.

According to Arkham data, this was part of the 94,643 BTC seized from the 2016 Bitfinex hack. 

But the transfer has raised more questions than market sell-off fears. 

In early 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the stolen funds to be returned to Bitfinex, which was identified as the primary victim.

Nearly a year later, the seized funds, worth over $7 billion at current prices, have not been returned to Bitfinex. 

However, the delay may be associated with complex legal proceedings associated with unwinds of such massive magnitude. If so, then the transfer may likely be for custody purposes for distribution rather than a government sell-off. 

What’s next for BTC?

Even so, the broader BTC market was still in ‘extreme fear’ despite the crypto asset hovering around $74K for the past few days.

This implied that players were still cautious despite the recent price bounce. According to the trading desk, QCP Capital, this week’s rebound was due to U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks, which saw a brief oil slip from over $100 to $90. 

However, QCP Capital analysts cautioned, 

A ceasefire extension alone is no longer enough. Markets need tangible progress such as restored energy flows, compression in crude premia, and clearer disinflation.

They added, 

Until then, this remains a story of partial normalisation rather than full repair. Crypto remains supported but macro-driven. BTC and ETH are still trading as leveraged expressions of the same regime shift, with reduced escalation risk. Constructive, but not yet comfortable.

From an on-chain perspective, data showed a spike in whale sell-offs from players with over 100 BTC. Commenting on the same, CryptoQuant analyst JA Maartun noted, 

They’ve (whales) started sending a lot more BTC to exchanges. Activity like this hasn’t been this high in weeks, and it’s starting to weigh on the market.

Whether the whale pressure will derail a move beyond $75K remains to be seen ahead of the Fed rate decision. 

Final Summary

• The U.S. government moved $606K BTC, part of over 94K BTC meant to be returned to Bitfinex, to Coinbase Prime 
• QCP cautioned of uncertainty despite BTC’s rebound to $75K as the U.S.-Iran conflict was yet to be fully resolved.