Silk Road Bitcoins Worth Over $1 Billion Are Target of U.S. (2)

The U.S. is suing for the forfeiture of more than $1 billion in Bitcoins it says are linked to the criminal marketplace Silk Road it shut down seven years ago.

The thousands of Bitcoins, which the Justice Department seized on Tuesday, represent the largest cryptocurrency bust the government has ever made, it said in a statement on Thursday.

“The successful prosecution of Silk Road’s founder in 2015 left open a billion-dollar question. Where did the money go?” the U.S. said in the statement. “Today’s forfeiture complaint answers this open question at least in part.”

The announcement comes amid a resurgence ...