German Government Moves $344M in Bitcoin to CEX and OTC Desks

As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen interest in market developments and geopolitics, I find the recent news about the German government’s Bitcoin transfers both intriguing and concerning. The sheer volume of BTC being moved to exchanges and trading desks is staggering, with estimates putting the total value at over $1 billion.


As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed some significant movements in the Bitcoin market lately. The German government has reportedly restarted the transfer of Bitcoins from their wallets to cryptocurrency exchanges and OTC trading desks. Based on data from Arkham Intelligence, these transactions amounted to around $344 million worth of BTC. While some may view this as a positive sign, many investors remain cautious, as these large transfers continue to raise concerns within the crypto community.

German Government Holds $1B in Bitcoin

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that approximately $73 million in Bitcoin have recently flowed into centralized exchanges. Among these platforms, Kraken attracted around $44 million worth of Bitcoin, while Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ: COIN) received about $39 million.

As a researcher, I’ve uncovered that two notable crypto trading firms, namely Flow Traders based in Amsterdam and Cumberland DRW situated in Chicago, have each received significant investments totaling $98 million. Specifically, Flow Traders received approximately $66 million through two distinct transactions, while Cumberland DRW gained about $31.5 million.

An unidentified wallet received two transactions totalling $132 million from the German government. It’s important to note that many of these wallet addresses have previously received Bitcoin from the German government. This week, the government transferred approximately $1.3 billion worth of Bitcoin to some of these same platforms.

As a researcher studying cryptocurrency transactions, I discovered that on Monday, I observed the German government transferring a significant amount of Bitcoin (BTC). More specifically, they moved a total of 4,900 BTC across five different platforms: Coinbase, Bitstamp, Kraken, Cumberland DRW, and Flow Traders. Among these recipients, Cumberland DRW received the largest portion, with a transfer of approximately 133.723 BTC. The combined value of these transactions amounted to an impressive $900 million.

As a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that following the significant market downturn on Monday, Arkham Intelligence revealed that the German government holds approximately 32,488 Bitcoin, equivalent to around $1.855 billion. However, by the end of Tuesday, the value had dropped down to about $1 billion. Surprisingly enough, the German authorities obtained an additional 3,673 Bitcoins from centralized exchanges as a countermeasure to their Tuesday Bitcoin sale.

German Government Turns to OTC Sales

As an on-chain analyst at Spot On Chain, I’ve been monitoring Bitcoin transactions closely, including those made by the German government. At first, they were transferring their Bitcoin solely to centralized exchanges. However, I noticed a pattern in their transaction frequency and size that raised suspicions about a possible change in strategy. These observations led me to hypothesize that the German government might be exploring over-the-counter (OTC) sales for their Bitcoin dump.

As I delved deeper into the world of cryptocurrency transfers, I noticed that an increasing number were being directed to market makers such as Cumberland DRW and Flow Traders. This trend raised the question of whether over-the-counter (OTC) transactions would become more prevalent. For many investors, particularly large institutions, OTC sales are a preferred choice due to their risk mitigation benefits.

This change in transaction method indicates that the German government might have become aware of the detrimental effects their transfers could be having on the market. Additionally, Bitcoin has experienced notable growth over the past day, with a 2.29% price rise and a current value of $58,634.72 according to CoinMarketCap’s latest figures.

As an analyst, I would rephrase it this way: Joana Cotar, the German MP from Bundestag, maintains her stance that her government should refrain from selling off Bitcoin. She advocates for Germany to adopt the approach of certain countries and consider holding Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset.

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2024-07-10 15:48