US Marshals Service Investigates Potential Hack of Government Crypto Accounts
The US Marshals Service (USMS), responsible for managing cryptocurrencies seized or forfeited by federal law enforcement, is probing a possible breach of government digital-asset accounts. A spokesperson confirmed the investigation is ongoing but declined further comment.
On January 26, Patrick Witt, executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, acknowledged the issue on X (formerly Twitter), referencing a post by onchain investigator ZachXBT. The anonymous researcher alleged that government seizure wallets were among those targeted in a late-2025 hack, resulting in over $60 million in stolen funds. ZachXBT did not respond to requests for comment.
The incident comes as the US government expands its digital asset holdings. In 2024, President Donald Trump established the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, comprising forfeited Bitcoin, and the US Digital Asset Stockpile, which includes other seized cryptocurrencies from criminal or civil asset forfeiture cases.
Cryptocurrency theft remains a persistent threat, with $3.4 billion stolen in 2025 alone, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The USMS breach, if confirmed, would mark another high-profile compromise in the sector.
Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2026/01/29/856035.htm
United States Marshals Service cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/united-states-marshals-service
"id": "UNI1769676090",
"linkid": "united-states-marshals-service",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "12/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Law Enforcement, Asset Forfeiture',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'US Marshals Service (USMS)',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Government Agency'}],
'data_breach': {'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Cryptocurrency wallet '
'credentials'},
'date_detected': '2025-01-26',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-01-26',
'description': 'The US Marshals Service (USMS) is probing a possible breach '
'of government digital-asset accounts responsible for managing '
'cryptocurrencies seized or forfeited by federal law '
'enforcement. The incident may have resulted in over $60 '
'million in stolen funds.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High',
'data_compromised': 'Cryptocurrency wallet access',
'financial_loss': '$60 million',
'systems_affected': 'Government digital-asset accounts'},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': 'Government seizure wallets'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'motivation': 'Financial Gain',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-01-26',
'source': 'Patrick Witt (X/Twitter)'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-01-26',
'source': 'ZachXBT (Onchain Investigator)'},
{'source': 'Chainalysis'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public acknowledgment via X '
'(Twitter)'},
'title': 'US Marshals Service Investigates Potential Hack of Government '
'Crypto Accounts',
'type': 'Data Breach, Cryptocurrency Theft'}