Germany ’Failed to Seize’ 45,000 BTC From Movie2K Piracy Empire: Arkham Report Reveals Staggering Crypto Blunder
German authorities just whiffed on one of the biggest crypto seizures in history—45,000 Bitcoin left untouched in the digital vaults of piracy giant Movie2K.
The Missed Fortune
Arkham's blockchain intelligence team tracked the massive wallet cluster tied to the defunct streaming platform, revealing German prosecutors had the addresses but never pulled the trigger. That's $2.7 billion—gone like a Hollywood plot twist.
Operation Misfire
While regulators were busy drafting paperwork, the Bitcoin quietly appreciated 9,000%. Typical government efficiency—moving at bureaucratic speed while crypto markets move at light speed.
Legacy Finance's Crypto Comedy
Meanwhile, traditional finance giants are still trying to figure out how to custody Bitcoin without getting hacked. Maybe they should've taken notes from piracy sites—they clearly knew how to hold assets better than the regulators chasing them.
Germany's $5.62 billion Bitcoin fumble
The German government famously began selling off its original haul of Movie2K Bitcoin in June 2024, when it was worth just over $3 billion (€2.6 billion).
At the time, the Dresden prosecutor called the haul "unprecedented." If it had waited until today to conduct the sales, the government WOULD have brought in $5.62 billion in revenues.
Decrypt contacted the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) for comment, asking whether it was aware of the newly identified Bitcoin, and whether it intended to take relevant action.
A spokesperson for the agency told Decrypt that it “in principle does not comment on investigations.”
The original seizure of 49,858 BTC took place in January 2024, via a “voluntary transfer” from Movie2K’s operators.
Two men—one a Polish national and the other a German national—have been charged with counts of copyright infringement, money laundering and tax evasion in relation to the activities of Movie2K.
Both men have been able to secure suspended sentences, partly by virtue of providing confessions, and partly by providing information leading to the identification of additional suspects.
