Crypto
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- The Czech government has faced intense pressure after quietly selling nearly $45 million worth of bitcoins donated by a convicted criminal
- Justice Minister Pavel Blažek has stepped down following public backlash and accusations of whitewashing criminal proceeds
- A new minister has launched an independent audit as authorities investigate potential money laundering violations
The Czech government has narrowly avoided collapse after a political firestorm erupted over a Bitcoin donation linked to a convicted drug trafficker. Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned amid accusations that he failed to properly vet the origins of 468 bitcoins, worth over 1 billion Czech koruna ($45 million), that were donated to the ministry. Although the donation was legal on paper, the public and opposition parties have reacted angrily, seeing it as a moral failure and a sign of deeper systemic problems in how digital assets are handled by the state.
Crypto From Conviction to Contribution
The controversy began when Tomáš Jiříkovský, a man convicted years earlier for operating an illegal darknet marketplace, had a massive stash of bitcoins returned to him by the courts due to procedural errors. Rather than keep the funds, Jiříkovský made a show of donating them directly to the Ministry of Justice.
Pavel Blažek’s office accepted the bitcoins and sold them for state revenue without notifying law enforcement or conducting an independent investigation into the donor’s intent or the assets’ provenance. Jiříkovský claimed in a public letter that the donation was “a gesture to show faith in the system,” but critics viewed the move as a form of money laundering with government complicity.
Crypto Political Fallout and No-Confidence Vote
The political fallout from the donation was immediate; opposition parties led by former prime minister Andrej Babiš quickly seized the opportunity to challenge the government’s integrity, forcing a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Over two days of tense debate, Prime Minister Petr Fiala defended his administration’s record while admitting the situation was poorly handled, admitting, “This should never have happened.” The motion fell short by just seven votes, leaving the government weakened and under a microscope with national elections looming in October, all because of a totally unnecessary side issue.
Following Blažek’s resignation, in an effort to restore credibility, Fiala has appointed Eva Decroix as the new Minister of Justice. Decroix wasted no time announcing an independent audit of the
Bitcoin donation and pledged full cooperatio
