Germany Allegedly Missed the Opportunity to Seize $5 Billion Worth of BTC from Movie2K Piracy Site!
Jakarta, Pintu News – German authorities reportedly may have missed the seizure of about 45,000 Bitcoin related to movie piracy site Movie2K, which if seized today could be worth nearly $5 billion, according to crypto intelligence platform Arkham.
1. Movie2K Bitcoin Seizure Background
In January 2024, German police seized nearly 50,000 BTC from two men suspected of running Movie2K. These bitcoins were then sold in mid-2024 at an average price of $57,900 per BTC, generating approximately $2.8 billion. The sale was made to reduce the risk of price volatility of crypto assets according to local law.
Unfortunately, a few months later, the price of Bitcoin soared to over $100,000, so the value of the BTC sold would be worth over $5 billion, leading to criticism of the quick sale decision.
Also Read: Analysis of Ripple (XRP) Transaction Surge, XRP Price Potential to Rise in September 2025?
2. New Findings from Arkham
Arkham found 45,060 BTC allegedly still associated with Movie2K, spread across more than 100 Bitcoin wallets. These Bitcoins have not moved since 2019, and are likely still under the control of Movie2K’s operators.
The platform notes that this amount is almost equivalent to the Bitcoin that has been seized previously, but has not been included in the sales made by the German authorities.
3. Legal Challenges in Additional Seizure
If the authorities want to seize these additional Bitcoins, they will have to prove in court that the assets came from Movie2K’s illegal activities. German law demands proof of illegal ownership before crypto assets can be seized.
In addition, the police need to determine the true owners of the over 100 Bitcoin wallets Arkham found in order to legally transfer ownership.
4. Current Bitcoin Value
With the price of Bitcoin approaching $111,000 per BTC, the total 45,060 BTC found by Arkham is currently estimated to be worth $4.99 billion. If calculated based on the peak price of $124,128 in mid-August, the value of these assets could reach $5.6 billion.
5. Lessons from the Movie2K Case
This case shows:
- Crypto volatility: Selling an asset too soon can result in the loss of potentially large profits.
- Legal compliance: Crypto confiscation requires strict legal procedures, including proving the origin of the assets.
- Clarity of digital ownership: Distributed wallets and blockchain anonymity make crypto seizures more complex than traditional assets.
The Movie2K case is one of the biggest examples in Europe of the challenges of seizing Bitcoin related to illegal activities and how laws and crypto technologies intersect.
Also Read: 4 Reasons El Salvador Moved IDR11 Trillion in Bitcoin: Protection or Sell Signal?
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This content aims to enrich readers’ information. Pintu collects this information from various relevant sources and is not influenced by outside parties. Note that an asset’s past performance does not determine its projected future performance. Crypto trading activities are subject to high risk and volatility, always do your own research and use cold hard cash before investing. All activities of buying andselling Bitcoin and other crypto asset investments are the responsibility of the reader.
Reference:
- Jesse Coghlan, Cointelegraph. Germany yet to seize $5B Bitcoin tied to piracy site Movie2K: Arkham. Accessed September 9, 2025
