Bitcoin Scandal Rocks Czech, But PM Fiala Clings to Power

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Bitcoin Scandal Rocks Czech Politics, But Prime Minister Fiala Clings to Power

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: June 19, 2025

Key Takeaways

Czech Prime Minister Fiala's government survived a no-confidence vote sparked by a Bitcoin scandal;
Former Justice Minister received 468 BTC from a convicted criminal, later selling the assets;
Critics say only 30% of the funds went to the state, which raises concerns over a lack of oversight.

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Bitcoin Scandal Rocks Czech Politics, But Prime Minister Fiala Clings to Power

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A controversial Bitcoin BTC $104,218.11 transaction has caused a political stir in the Czech Republic, but was not enough to bring down the current government.

On June 17, lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted on a no-confidence motion aimed at removing Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government.

Of the 192 members present, 98 opposed the motion while 94 supported it. The vote allowed Fiala’s coalition to remain in power, though by a narrow margin.

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In a post on X following the vote, Fiala said the result was expected and accused the opposition of using the session to spread "insults and lies". Still, he acknowledged public concern about how government systems might have been used to make criminal income appear legal, according to a report by Brno Daily, a local media outlet.

The issue began when 468 BTC, worth over $45 million at the time, was sent by convicted darknet drug dealer Tomas Jirikovsky to former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek.

Blazek’s ministry sold the Bitcoin and sent about 30% of the money to the state. Critics argued that this process bypassed standard procedures and may have allowed funds tied to illegal activity to be reused without proper oversight.

Meanwhile, Global Ledger and Recoveris, working with Reuters, found that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) recently used Bitcoin to recruit a Canadian teen. Why? Read the full story.