How does DOJ seize bitcoin from scammers?

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We’ve had several conversations on this:

I thought bitcoins were untraceable? Colonial ransom partially recovered

Just saw that the Justice Dept reportedly has recovered about $2.3-million of the ransomware paid to Darkside by Colonial Pipeline. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/07/politics/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-recovered/index.html I thought bitcoins were supposed to be untraceable? Or is this a case of everything online is traceable if you look hard enough? What are the weaknesses that would allow you to trace the transactions back to a person? Converting it into a hard currency? DOJ release: http…

And this thread as well, though the ability to trace/track the funds starts around #50

Bitcoins. Are they a net negative to human society?

I may have gotten a little carried away in the GQ thread about bitcoins, so I’m starting this one. The debate is if bitcoins are of net harm or net benefit to humanity as a whole. It seems as if we’re reaching a tipping point in the general awareness of bitcoins, at least here in the US. A few players set to be drafted into the NFL in a few days, including the likely #1 pick, have announced that they will be converting large sums of their pay into bitcoins. There was a top of the website art…