SEC Chairman says whether to confiscate Venezuela's bitcoin remains to be seen

Paul Atkins, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stated in an interview with Fox Business that whether U.S. authorities will confiscate the bitcoin reportedly held by Venezuela remains to be seen. In response to reports that Venezuela holds $60 billion worth of bitcoin (approximately 600,000 BTC), Paul Atkins said he is not involved in the relevant decision-making, and the authority to handle this matter lies with other government departments. At present, several blockchain analysis institutions have not confirmed the claim that the country holds $60 billion in cryptocurrency. In addition, the U.S. Senate Banking Committee plans to review the Digital Asset Market Transparency Act (CLARITY) this Thursday. The bill aims to grant the Commodity Futures Trading Commission more regulatory authority over digital assets, but it may be delayed due to factors such as the 2026 midterm election campaigns.