German Bundestag member Joana Cotar has publicly challenged the government’s decision to keep selling seized bitcoin, arguing that the country should think more strategically about the asset instead of treating it only as something to be liquidated. In her view, bitcoin deserves consideration as a strategic reserve asset, particularly at a time when governments around the world are increasingly being forced to confront the long-term role of digital assets in national finance.
Cotar’s criticism was directed at Germany’s ongoing sales of confiscated BTC, which she described as a policy choice that lacks strategic sense. Rather than continuing to offload holdings into the market, she believes Berlin should evaluate whether bitcoin could serve a broader purpose on the national balance sheet. Her remarks add a political dimension to what had largely been viewed as an administrative or treasury-driven disposal of seized assets.
A Political Push Against Large-Scale BTC Liquidations
According to the report, Cotar said on X that the German government’s decision to sell bitcoin instead of keeping it as a strategic reserve currency is deeply concerning. She argued that selling BTC on a large scale is not only unwise, but potentially counterproductive. The criticism is notable because it reframes the conversation from one about asset recovery and liquidation to one about sovereign strategy, reserve management, and the long-term monetary relevance of bitcoin.
As a member of the Bundestag, Germany’s federal parliament, Cotar is part of the institution responsible for legislation and government oversight. Her comments therefore carry weight beyond social media commentary, especially because they are paired with direct outreach to influential policymakers. She said she had communicated her stance to several prominent political figures, including Michael Kretschmer, Christian Lindner, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
That outreach suggests her objective is not merely to criticize current policy, but to open a broader debate within Germany’s political leadership. The core of her argument is that bitcoin should not automatically be treated as a volatile asset to dispose of as quickly as possible. Instead, she wants policymakers to consider whether holding BTC could offer strategic advantages to a nation-state.
Bitcoin as a Nation-State Reserve Debate
To advance that discussion, Cotar invited top political figures to attend a lecture titled “Bitcoin Strategies for Nation States”. The event is scheduled for October 17 at the Paul-Löbe-Haus in Berlin and will feature bitcoin advocate Samson Mow as the speaker. The invitation is part of a broader effort to bring the topic of sovereign bitcoin strategy into mainstream political conversation in Germany.
The event’s framing is important. Rather than focusing narrowly on price action or speculative interest, the lecture is positioned around how nation-states might use bitcoin strategically. Cotar appears to be encouraging government officials to evaluate bitcoin in terms of reserve diversification, financial resilience, and long-term geopolitical relevance. While the report does not claim that Germany is close to adopting such a policy, it does show that the idea has moved into formal political discourse.
In that sense, Cotar’s initiative reflects a wider global trend: bitcoin is increasingly being discussed not only as an investment or a technology, but also as a state-level policy question. Her effort aims to build institutional understanding of the asset and to challenge assumptions that seized BTC should always be converted into fiat as soon as practical.
Germany’s Bitcoin Holdings Remain Significant
The timing of Cotar’s comments is especially notable because Germany has been conducting large sales of seized bitcoin in recent days. According to blockchain intelligence firm Arkham, the government liquidated as much as $175 million worth of bitcoin on Thursday alone. Those transactions drew market attention because of both their size and their potential impact on already fragile sentiment.
Even after those sales, however, Germany still reportedly holds more than 40,000 BTC, valued at around $2.3 billion in the report. That means the government remains one of the more significant public-sector bitcoin holders associated with seized assets. The scale of those holdings helps explain why each wave of selling is closely watched by traders, analysts, and policymakers alike.
At the time referenced in the report, bitcoin was trading at approximately $55,724. The market was already under pressure, and Germany’s liquidation activity came alongside growing attention on the anticipated Mt. Gox bitcoin distributions. Together, those developments contributed to concerns about supply entering the market and weighing on price performance.
Market Pressure Meets Policy Disagreement
The combination of government selling and Mt. Gox-related supply expectations has created a sensitive backdrop for bitcoin markets. In that environment, Germany’s decision to continue selling seized BTC has taken on greater significance. What might otherwise have been viewed as a routine disposal process is now being interpreted through the lens of market impact, state strategy, and broader institutional attitudes toward bitcoin.
Cotar’s position does not alter the government’s current policy by itself, but it does introduce a clear internal challenge to the logic behind the sales. Her argument implies that the government may be overlooking the possibility that bitcoin could serve as a useful reserve asset rather than simply a source of proceeds. By making that case publicly and linking it to a formal educational event, she is pushing for the issue to be debated at a higher level.
The broader significance of her intervention lies in the fact that bitcoin reserve policy is no longer a fringe concept in political discussion. Whether or not Germany ultimately changes course, the fact that a Bundestag member is openly pressing the government to retain BTC as a strategic holding marks an important development in the evolving relationship between states and digital assets.
For now, the immediate facts remain clear: Germany has sold substantial amounts of seized bitcoin, still controls more than 40,000 BTC, and is facing public criticism from within its own parliament over whether those holdings should be sold at all. Cotar’s message is that the issue should not be reduced to liquidation mechanics alone. In her view, it is a strategic decision about how a modern state understands and manages a new form of monetary asset.