A US federal court has sentenced Raheim Hamilton, 30, co-founder of the darknet marketplace Empire Market, to 40 years in prison. The court also ordered forfeiture of 1,230 Bitcoin, worth around $100 million at current rates, along with a $5 million fine.
Hamilton ran Empire Market alongside Thomas Pavey, 41, between 2018 and 2020. According to the US Department of Justice, the platform processed more than 4 million transactions totalling over $430 million, with nearly $375 million of that tied to drug sales. Prosecutors say at least 13 kilograms of fentanyl changed hands through the marketplace during its operation.
Pavey, who has agreed to surrender around 1,584 Bitcoin along with gold bars and several properties, is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Combined, the two men's seized and to-be-seized Bitcoin holdings amount to 2,814 BTC.
A reserve in waiting
The size of the forfeiture has drawn attention beyond the criminal case itself. In March 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the United States. Draft legislation under discussion would require any Bitcoin placed into that reserve to be held for a minimum of 20 years.
Seized criminal proceeds have been floated as one potential source of Bitcoin for the reserve, and the scale of the Empire Market forfeitures — nearly 2,814 BTC once Pavey's sentencing concludes — would represent a meaningful addition if routed that way. For European observers watching how Washington builds out its crypto policy, the case offers a concrete illustration of how enforcement actions and strategic asset accumulation could become intertwined under the current administration.
The Empire Market prosecution itself stands as one of the larger darknet marketplace cases brought by US authorities in recent years, both in terms of the drug volumes alleged and the scale of the cryptocurrency holdings involved. Hamilton's 40-year sentence and the accompanying forfeiture order mark the conclusion of his portion of the case, while Pavey's sentencing later this year will determine the final disposition of the remaining assets.
