US Government Moves Alameda Bitcoin, Triggering Sell-Off Fears
Bitcoin (BTC)
Editor:
Eugene Serbin
Coinlive.me reports that a wallet linked to the US government moved Bitcoin associated with the collapsed trading firm Alameda Research. This on-chain activity, tracked by blockchain analytics firms Arkham and Lookonchain, has revived fears that Washington is preparing a federal BTC sell-off. Although the transfer size was small, its origin drew scrutiny because seized coins sit in a different bucket than those in the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The White House established the reserve in March 2025 with a policy of not selling its core holdings, but forfeiture cases may be treated differently. Consequently, the movement does not automatically prove the "never sell" pledge is broken, but it exposes the fine print of the policy. Traders are watching for follow-on movements toward exchange deposit wallets as concrete signs of liquidation.
This sensitivity stems from Bitcoin's recent responsiveness to macro cues, such as the 30-year Treasury yield hitting a 19-year high. The fear is one of signaling, where a transfer out of a known government address can look like staging for liquidation before anything concrete happens. Corporate demand continues elsewhere, with firms like Martı allocating treasury reserves to Bitcoin.
For related coverage, see Thailand SEC Drafts Spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF Trading Rules. Another related update notes Japan to Launch Blockchain-Based Instant Settlement for Stocks and Government Bonds. Additionally, market attention remains on the 30-Year Treasury Yield Hits 19-Year High as Inflation Fears Pressure Crypto.
How the market reacted
Whalio's own Binance spot order flow for BTC, measured when this story was written up on 27 August 2026. Not the outlet's figures.
Bitcoin is trading at $79,023.75 with a 24-hour spot volume of $1,148,236,056. The 24-hour buy ratio is 49.9%, indicating a near-even split between buyers and sellers, while the 1-hour buy ratio of 44.5% shows short-term selling pressure. Volume deltas are negative across all timeframes, with -$5,843,612 in the last hour and -$26,934,662 over four hours. This negative delta means sellers are aggressively hitting bids, outweighing buyer volume. The cumulative volume delta (CVD) for the 24-hour close is -$106,618,789, confirming net outflow. Net buying occurred in only 6 of the last 24 hours, suggesting a lack of sustained buying interest.
The latest daily buy ratio of 46.7% sits at the 18th percentile of the last 322 days, against a median of 49.2% - weaker buying than most days.
Twenty-four hours later
What BTC did over the 24 hours after the story broke. The market moves for its own reasons; this is what happened, not what the story caused.
Was that an ordinary day?
The same Binance spot measurements for BTC, averaged over the days leading up to the story.
Over the preceding week, the average buy ratio was 51.6%, making the current 24-hour ratio of 49.9% slightly below the weekly norm. Volume relative to the weekly average is 0.54x, indicating significantly lower trading activity than usual. The coin saw a 14.0% price increase over eight days, supported by a total volume delta of +$445,688,281 during that period. This suggests that while the immediate flow is negative, the broader weekly trend remains bullish. However, the current low volume and negative delta mark a departure from the stronger buying pressure seen earlier in the week.