In Germany, customs will be able to seize bitcoins as early as 2027

Germany’s Bundestag passed a reform allowing customs authorities to seize cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin when there are substantiated doubts about their lawful origin, even without a criminal proceeding. The measure is set to take effect in January 2027 but still requires approval from the Bundesrat. It matters because it expands Germany’s ability to intervene in crypto holdings before any criminal case is opened, shifting customs from a purely investigative role toward preventive asset control. Watch for the Bundesrat’s decision and how the threshold for “substantiated suspicion” is defined in practice.