During the settlement of the Silk Road marketplace, the Icelandic state received $2.6 million (355 million ISK) after selling Bitcoin that had been seized in operations, some of which took place in Iceland as part of international crime-fighting agreements. Iceland's involvement proved to be a key factor in dismantling this illegal marketplace. The settlement was conducted in U.S. dollars, but if the Icelandic state had had the option or chosen to hold onto the 6,600 Bitcoin, their value today would be around $600 million (80 billion ISK).

Last night, the United States took a significant step to prevent such a situation from occurring again within its borders. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, signed an executive order mandating that all Bitcoin owned by the state be transferred into a special reserve fund known as the Bitcoin Strategic Reserve. The announcement stated that the U.S. had sold Bitcoin too early over the years, resulting in a loss of $17 billion. Additionally, the statement mentioned that the state is authorized to acquire more Bitcoin for the fund as long as it does not require additional taxpayer funds.

The White House refers to Bitcoin as “digital gold” and emphasizes the “strategic advantage” of being one of the first nations to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

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