Bulgarias Sold Bitcoin Stash Now Worth 82% of Its National Debt

In 2017, Bulgaria seized 213,519 Bitcoin tokens during a cybercrime crackdown when Bitcoin's value was below $3,000 each. The government sold this stash in 2018. As of July 2025, with Bitcoin reaching $123,200, that same amount of Bitcoin would be worth approximately $26.3 billion. Bulgaria's national debt in May 2025 was BGN 54.2 billion, meaning the Bitcoin they once held would now equal nearly 82% of their debt. Similarly, the German government sold 49,858 Bitcoin between June and July 2024 for $2.89 billion. Holding onto that Bitcoin would now be worth over $6.1 billion. The U.S. government is now retaining seized Bitcoin for a national reserve.