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A wave of speculation spread across X as rumours claimed that Venezuela could be hiding over 600,000 BTC in secret reserves.
Author: Sahil Thakur
5th January 2026 – Fresh rumors are sweeping the crypto world. According to multiple intelligence sources, Venezuela may secretly control between 600,000 and 660,000 BTC, potentially worth $60–67 billion. If true, this would make the country one of the largest Bitcoin holders in the world – even ahead of the U.S. government.
On the surface, Venezuela reports holding just 240 BTC, valued at approximately $21.45 million. These are the only reserves listed in public trackers like bitcointreasuries.net.
However, the story doesn’t end there. If the rumors are to be believed, behind the scenes, officials and analysts believe that far more Bitcoin sits hidden – outside official accounts, off the books, and out of international view.
According to reports, Venezuela began acquiring Bitcoin in 2018 under President Nicolás Maduro, aiming to sidestep global sanctions and shield its wealth from seizure. The strategy reportedly combined multiple tactics to build a “shadow reserve”:
Mike Alfred
@mikealfred
BREAKING: Key intelligence info indicates that Venezuela held a secret Bitcoin stockpile of more than 600,000 coins which may have been seized yesterday when the US Government bagged Maduro.
12:00 AM·Jan 5, 2026
TFTC
@TFTC21
Intelligence claims suggest Venezuela may control a massive #Bitcoin “shadow reserve” of up to 600,000 BTC. https://t.co/1vAdC66Qvn
09:12 PM·Jan 4, 2026
Serenity
@aleabitoreddit
Venezuela: The $60B+ Bitcoin "Shadow Reserve" Markets focus on the $17T+ in Oil that Venezuela owns. But what they don't know is that Venezuela one of the largest active $BTC holders in the world. Similar in scale to both $MSTR and Blackrock. Here's how this impacts markets https://t.co/lf7CMUgtUB
05:50 PM·Jan 4, 2026
In each case, the flow of assets moved deliberately into crypto. One key figure, Alex Saab, reportedly played a major role in overseeing and managing this accumulation.
The timing of these rumors is no coincidence. In early 2026, U.S. authorities captured Maduro, triggering political transition and renewed scrutiny of state-held crypto. As a result, attention has shifted to uncovering hidden BTC caches.
American officials may now attempt to access wallet seed phrases through interrogations or plea bargains. Instead of dumping the Bitcoin onto the open market which could cause severe price drops, they’re more likely to freeze the funds or absorb them into Treasury reserves, much like other seized foreign assets.
If Venezuela truly holds over 600,000 BTC, it would control nearly 3% of Bitcoin’s total circulating supply. That’s a huge chunk and it dwarfs previous government-related movements.
For comparison, when Germany sold 50,000 BTC in 2024, prices dropped by 15–20%. Venezuela’s rumored stash is over 10 times that size, which could trigger a major supply shock if moved or sold suddenly.
The uncertainty is already raising concerns in trading circles. Some investors fear price volatility. Others see opportunity in the shift of sovereign wealth into decentralized assets.
Src: X
This isn’t the country’s first foray into digital assets. Over the years, Venezuela has experimented with crypto multiple times.
It launched the Petro token, which failed to gain serious adoption. Later, it began using USDT for oil settlements, further proving its interest in bypassing traditional financial infrastructure.
As early as 2019, reports indicated that the country’s central bank explored adding BTC and ETH to its reserves.
For now, the 600,000 BTC claim remains unconfirmed. However, the combination of political upheaval, Maduro’s arrest, and rumors of hidden crypto reserves has created a tense atmosphere in both geopolitical and crypto circles.
If authorities uncover and seize these holdings, the decision about what to do next – whether to hold, freeze, or liquidate and could have huge ripple effects across the entire market.
Either way, Venezuela’s crypto strategy is back in the global spotlight, this time with higher stakes than ever.
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