Overview
- U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and transported him to the United States, according to multiple reports, sharpening focus on Venezuela’s rumored crypto assets.
- An intelligence-led Whale Hunting report alleges Venezuela amassed roughly 600,000–660,000 BTC, valued at about $56–$67 billion at current prices.
- The purported holdings have not been proven on-chain, and sources say the private keys controlling the wallets have not been found.
- Reports describe an accumulation pipeline beginning in 2018 that converted about $2 billion in gold into roughly 400,000 BTC, later supplemented by oil settlements in Tether and seizures from domestic miners.
- Court documents identify Alex Saab as a key architect of the system and state he has served as a DEA informant since 2016.