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Probe Into Venezuela’s Bitcoin Reserve Confirmed By White House Adviser
Executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets Patrick Witt said US officials are actively examining how Venezuela’s Maduro regime was financed, including whether any value sits in Bitcoin and “digital assets,” as speculation mounted earlier this month that recent Venezuela-linked actions may have surfaced a large Bitcoin cache. The comments stop short of confirming any seizure, but they place Bitcoin explicitly inside an ongoing national-security review.
White House Adviser Confirms Bitcoin InvestigationIn a CoinDesk interview on Tuesday, Witt was asked whether digital assets were seized and what the US might do with them. Witt declined to provide specifics, citing the sensitivity of the situation, but described an interagency effort scrutinizing potential funding sources tied to the regime.
“Obviously, developing situation down there, still working through it, a lot of national security equities there,” Witt said. “So folks are talking, they’re looking at the situation overall, how the Maduro regime was financed and where some of those assets, whether it’s on the oil side, actual physical commodities or digital assets maybe. So I can’t comment on anything there as of now, but there’s a number of folks in the national security apparatus engaged and looking into that.”
The key takeaway for markets is procedural rather than tactical: Witt did not validate any claim that bitcoin or other tokens were seized, but he did confirm that crypto is being considered alongside commodity-linked value as investigators map financing channels.
The White House caution comes against a viral claim that Venezuela may control more than 600,000 BTC, an assertion amplified by a widely circulated Whale Hunting / Project Brazen newsletter by Bradley Hope and Clara Preve. That piece framed the idea as a thesis driven by intelligence sourcing and circumstantial financial logic, not on-chain attribution.
Subsequent on-chain analysis has emphasized the gap between the headline number and what blockchain analysts can actually prove. DL News reported that forensics firms “have struggled to find any Bitcoin at all held by the regime,” citing Arkham and TRM Labs as saying they had not identified holdings at the scale being claimed.
Skepticism has also centered on the lack of traceable starting points. Fortune quoted Nansen principal research analyst Aurelie Barthere saying the Project Brazen report “does not mention any addresses as a starting point, making it difficult to verify” the speculation.
At press time, Bitcoin traded at $89,285.
Bitget объявила о создании европейского офиса и назначении директора
ABCEX запустила фьючерсы на биткоин и маржинальную торговлю
Steak ’N Shake Boosts Bitcoin Holdings After 18% Rise In Store Sales
Steak ’n Shake said this week that it quietly beefed up its Bitcoin stash as in-store sales jumped. The chain added $5 million in BTC to what it calls a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, bringing total crypto holdings to roughly $15 million.
Reports say the company pointed to crypto payments as one of the reasons same-store sales rose by 18% so far in 2026.
Steak ’N Shake’s Bitcoin MoveAccording to the brand’s social posts, every crypto payment made at its restaurants goes straight into that reserve instead of being cashed out.
This has let the reserve grow both from customer purchases and from occasional treasury buys. The latest post announced the $5 million top-up after an earlier disclosure that the reserve had been boosted by $10 million in January.
Steak n Shake’s Burger-to-Bitcoin transformation continues.
Today we increased our Bitcoin exposure by $5,000,000 in notional value.
All Bitcoin sales go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Our self-sustaining system — improving food quality that grows same-store sales that…
— Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) January 27, 2026
What The Numbers MeanOn paper, $15 million is small next to big corporate treasuries that hold BTC. Still, for a restaurant chain, it is a visible bet.
Reports note the company began accepting crypto across some locations in May 2025, and it claims that the payment option helped draw a certain kind of customer and cut payment fees. That combination, the company says, helped lift traffic and sales.
Eight months ago today, Steak n Shake launched its burger-to-Bitcoin transformation when we started accepting bitcoin payments. Our same-store sales have risen dramatically ever since.
All Bitcoin sales go into our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
Today we increased our Bitcoin…
— Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) January 17, 2026
Employee Bonuses And PublicityThe crypto story has also been used in staff talk. Steak ’n Shake announced a small BTC bonus plan for hourly workers, paid in BTC and subject to vesting rules.
That move created headlines and some debate, since paying workers in crypto raises practical and legal questions. The chain has been clear about wanting the reserve to support company goals rather than be a quick trading play.
A Practical ExperimentThis is not a tech fad. The company has been running a simple experiment: accept BTC, keep the crypto, and see if it helps sales or loyalty.
Some outlets reported the same-store sales gains as double digits in various quarters last year, and the company’s narrative ties those gains to the crypto program. Independent audits or formal filings that fully confirm the sales-to-crypto link are not yet public.
How Observers See ItAnalysts and market observers have treated the move as an interesting case study. Some see a marketing win; others call it a small but symbolic treasury play.
There are risks: BTC price swings can change the value of the reserve quickly, and operational issues around crypto pay can create friction at the counter.
Still, the chain appears committed for now, and that consistency matters in a crowded retail field.
Featured image from NSU Dining Services, chart from TradingView
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