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German Authorities Sold $14 Million in Seized Cryptos Over Price Fears
Prosecutors in Germany have made an emergency sale of cryptocurrencies seized in two investigations due to concerns over price volatility.
By Wolfie Zhao
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:59 a.m. Published May 29, 2018, 10:00 a.m.
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Concerns over high price volatility have prompted prosecutors in Germany to make an emergency sale of seized cryptocurrencies worth over €12 million (around $14 million).
Local news source Der Tagesspiegel reported Monday that Bavarian prosecutors ordered the sale on Feb. 20. At the time, bitcoin's price had rebounded to nearly $10,000 after hitting a yearly low of $5,947 on Feb. 6, according to CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index.
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Taking nearly two months to complete, the sale reportedly disposed of 1,312 bitcoins, 1,399 bitcoin cash, 1,312 bitcoin gold and 220 ether via over 1,600 transactions on a German trading platform.
The cryptocurrencies were all seized during two ongoing investigations being conducted by Bavarian cybercrime agencies. Although the prosecutor has not yet brought charges in the two cases, German legislation allows for emergency sales if assets seized in ongoing investigations face an immediate threat of loss of value, according to the report.
"Since all cryptocurrencies are exposed to the risk of high price fluctuations or even total loss, the Bayern Central Office of Cybercrime ordered an emergency sale," the state prosecutors explained in the report.
Following the sale, the office has yet to determine how to handle the proceeds, since it remains unclear whether the prosecutor will move forward with the investigations.
At the end of last year, the Central Office of Cybercrime in Germany's Hesse state also made a notable sale of 126 bitcoins confiscated over several years through investigations on the darknet. At the time, bitcoin's price was around its all-time-high at $20,000, which resulted in proceeds of nearly $2.3 million, according to an earlier report from Der Tagesspiegel.
German police image via Shutterstock
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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
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- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
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Here’s why bitcoin’s is failing its role as a 'safe haven' versus gold
Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash.
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- During recent geopolitical tensions, Bitcoin lost 6.6% of its value, while gold rose 8.6%, demonstrating bitcoin's vulnerability in times of market stress.
- Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash, contrary to its reputation as a stable digital asset.
- Gold remains the preferred hedge for short-term risks, while bitcoin is better suited for long-term monetary and geopolitical uncertainties that unfold over years.
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