UK Considers £5B Bitcoin Sale, Echoes of Gordon Brown’s Gold Exit Resurface
July 21, 2025 — The UK government is reportedly exploring the sale of up to £5 billion in seized Bitcoin, reviving memories of Gordon Brown’s heavily criticized gold sale at the turn of the millennium.
According to The Telegraph, the Home Office and law enforcement agencies are in discussions with Chancellor Rachel Reeves to convert a portion of the country’s confiscated crypto holdings into cash to help narrow a projected £20 billion budget gap. The move would mark one of the largest state-led crypto liquidations to date.
Among the government’s digital asset reserves is the well-known 2018 seizure of 61,000 BTC from a Chinese investment fraud case. With Bitcoin trading near £90,000, that stash alone is valued above £5.4 billion.
The timing is raising eyebrows. Observers are drawing parallels to Gordon Brown’s 1999–2002 gold sale, where the UK offloaded nearly 400 tonnes of gold at historic lows around $275 per ounce. Today, gold trades above $3,300, and the episode remains a textbook example of poorly timed asset liquidation.
Critics warn that selling Bitcoin now—despite its strong performance—could be a repeat of that strategic blunder. BTC is up more than 75% in the past year and over 1,000% over five years, with growing institutional demand and limited supply reinforcing long-term bullish sentiment.
Supporters, however, view the sale as pragmatic. With markets near all-time highs and economic pressures mounting, cashing in on illicitly acquired assets could be seen as responsible fiscal maneuvering. “You don’t get many chances to turn dirty Bitcoin into clean cash at the top,” one source familiar with the discussions said.
Whether the move turns out to be opportunistic or shortsighted remains to be seen. But with billions on the line and the crypto market still evolving, the stakes for the Treasury—and taxpayers—are anything but trivial.
