system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What happens to seized drug money? VS What happens to seized BitCoins?

When the feds shut down Silk Road, and seize however many millions of dollars in BitCoins, is that not legitimizing the currency? Where do the BitCoins possibly go and what effect would it have?
gpt
It doesn't go anywhere for now. It is held as evidence. When it no longer has evidentiary value (when the cases are all closed) it gets returned to the legal owner unless it is contraband. Bitcoins aren't contraband, so the government will either have to return it or, if it can prove the property was used in or fruit of a crime, they can file a forfeiture action. If they win, it will probably be sold at auction. Since it isn't legal currency in any country, the law will treat it as any other property.