US SEC Chairman Paul Atkins Weighs In On Potential Seizure of Venezuela’s Bitcoin Holdings
Paul Atkins, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has not ruled out the possibility of authorities seizing Venezuela’s reported Bitcoin holdings. In a recent interview with Fox Business’ Stuart Varney, Atkins addressed reports that Venezuela holds up to $60 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC), although several analysts have been unable to verify these claims. The SEC chairman stated that it “remains to be seen” what action, if any, the US would take if given the opportunity to seize the reported 600,000 BTC.
Atkins’ comments came in response to a question about whether the US would “take those Bitcoins away” from Venezuela, to which he replied, “I’ll leave that to others in the government – I’m not involved in that.” The reports about Venezuela’s Bitcoin holdings emerged after U.S. forces captured then-President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the United States to face criminal charges in New York.
Context and Implications
The Maduro regime has previously been implicated in certain aspects of the cryptocurrency industry, such as the launch of an oil-backed digital currency in 2018. However, at the time of publication, blockchain analysts and intelligence platforms had not confirmed the reported $60 billion in cryptocurrencies. The situation is complex, and the potential seizure of Venezuela’s Bitcoin holdings has significant implications for the global cryptocurrency market.
The US crypto stocks have risen by double digits as major tokens recover, and the Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to deliver a statement on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) on Thursday. The bill, which was passed by House Democrats in July, aims to provide clarity on the regulation of digital assets and has been under consideration in the Senate for months.
Regulatory Developments and Potential Delays
Banks and some crypto companies have raised concerns about the stablecoin rewards provisions in the bill, and many Democrats are reportedly calling for stricter ethics guidelines and clarifications on decentralized finance. The bill could be delayed due to the 2026 midterm election campaign and a possible government shutdown in late January. However, early drafts of the legislation showed that lawmakers were trying to give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission more power to regulate digital assets.
Readers can stay up-to-date with the latest developments in crypto laws and regulations by checking out Cointelegraph’s editorial policies and guides, such as “How crypto laws changed in 2025 – and how they will change in 2026.” For more information on this topic, visit https://cointelegraph.com/news/sec-chair-paul-atkins-us-seize-venezuela-bitcoin?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss_tag_regulation&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
