Venture capitalist Tim Draper wins all 29,657 BTC seized from the Silk Road marketplace in a US Marshals Service auction, paying approximately $19 million. Nearly 45 bidders competed for the coins, which were offered in blocks of 3,000 BTC. Draper famously declared he would never sell and became one of Bitcoin's most vocal billionaire advocates. The auction was a pivotal moment -- the US government was legitimizing Bitcoin by conducting an official sale, and a prominent investor was treating it as a long-term store of value.
US Marshals Service: Bitcoin Auction