Reference: 20260435
7 July 2026
Harry Satoshi
[FYI request #34885 email]
Dear Harry
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), received on 9
June 2026. You requested:
I am writing under the Official Information Act 1982 to request information about how the
New Zealand government manages and accounts for proceeds received from confiscated
cryptocurrency assets.
…
1. Whether The Treasury receives or accounts for proceeds from the sale of confiscated
cryptocurrency assets, and if so, how those proceeds are classified and recorded.
2. The total amount received by the Crown from confiscated cryptocurrency asset sales,
broken down by year from 2015 to present, where such records exist.
3. Whether confiscated cryptocurrency assets appear on any Crown balance sheet or
asset register, and if so, how they are valued.
4. Whether The Treasury has issued any guidance to government agencies on the
accounting treatment of seized or confiscated cryptocurrency.
5. Whether The Treasury holds any cryptocurrency assets directly, and if so, the nature
and estimated value of those holdings.
Please provide documents, records, policies or guidelines that are held and can be
released under the Act. Where information cannot be released in full, I ask that it be
released in part with reasons given for any withholding.
The Treasury does not hold information relating to parts 2 and 3 of your request above. I believe
this information is held by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE).
Accordingly, I have decided under section 14(b)(i) of the OIA to transfer these parts of your
request to MBIE. The other parts of your request are for Treasury specific information and will
remain with the Treasury.
MBIE has 20 working days from receipt of this transfer to decide your request.
Yours sincerely
Hannah Singleton
Manager, Fiscal Reporting
1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
tel. +64-4-472-2733
https://treasury.govt.nz
