Federal prosecutors in Manhattan stated Monday that the US wants to seize $1bn in bitcoin stolen from Silk Road.
IRS investigators seized 50,000 bitcoins during a November 2021 search of James Zhong's house in Gainesville, Georgia.
It was the second-largest seizure in US Department of Justice history.
Zhong, 32, pled guilty to wire fraud for deceiving Silk Road's processing system in 2012.
Bitcoin was worth $3bn when confiscated. Its value has dropped by two-thirds.
IRS special agent Trevor McAleenan said some stolen bitcoin was recovered on a PC in a popcorn tin in a bathroom closet.
US attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan claimed the lost bitcoin amounted to $3.3 billion. "We'll follow the money..." even a popcorn tin's electrical board."
In 2013, the US authorities seized Silk Road, calling it a drug and money-laundering bazaar.