Germany’s Bundestag approves customs powers to seize suspected illicit assets, including crypto

Germany’s Bundestag has approved a law that lets customs authorities temporarily seize assets they suspect come from illicit sources. They can do it before a criminal case has even started.

Crypto is explicitly on the list. In Germany, a large wallet balance with a murky backstory may now draw the attention of customs officers.

What the Customs Financial Justice Act actually does

The law is formally called the Zollfinanzgerechtigkeitsgesetz. In English it is the Customs Financial Justice Act. The Bundestag passed it on November 12, 2026.

The core change is simple. Customs can now investigate and secure assets whose lawful origin looks doubtful, without first opening criminal proceedings.

Two thresholds decide what qualifies. The general trigger is assets worth more than €100,000. For registerable items, such as real estate and vehicles, the bar drops to €50,000.

Assets above €100,000 can be seized on reasonable suspicion. Officials do not need a conviction or an indictment. They need grounds to doubt where the money came from.

Crypto falls under the law as defined by the EU’s MiCA regulation. MiCA, the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, is the bloc’s rulebook for digital assets. Tying the German law to it means the seizure powers cover the same broad set of tokens EU regulators already recognize.

Bitcoin has come up as one asset that could be affected. Still, the law does not single out particular tokens or companies. It sets a general framework that applies to digital assets across the board.

The clock: 30 days, then a judge

The seizure is temporary, at least initially. Customs can hold suspect assets for up to 30 days without criminal proceedings.

After that, a finance court can extend the hold by up to 150 days. That puts the maximum at 180 days with court approval.

Final confiscation is a separate step. Permanently taking the assets requires a court ruling. Customs can freeze, but only a judge can take.

Why Germany wants this

The law sits inside a broader campaign against organized crime, money laundering and financial misconduct. It builds on the Joint Action Plan against Organised Crime, which Germany launched in February 2026.

The act also supports the Financial Intelligence Unit, known as the FIU, and expands data-sharing between authorities. The FIU is the agency that receives and analyzes suspicious transaction reports.

The vote drew support from several parties, including the CDU/CSU, the SPD and the AfD.

There is also a fiscal angle. The German government expects the new powers could generate approximately €308 million in annual revenue by 2028, once enforcement is running across asset classes.

The law is not in force yet. It is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, pending approval from the Bundesrat, the upper house representing Germany’s federal states.

What this means for crypto holders in Germany

The most direct effect is on provenance. If you hold a substantial amount of crypto in Germany, being able to show where it came from just became more valuable.

The law requires reasonable suspicion, not proof of wrongdoing, to trigger a temporary seizure. Clean paperwork is the easiest way to keep suspicion from forming in the first place.

What to watch next

The first checkpoint is the Bundesrat. The law still needs its approval before the January 1, 2027 start date can hold.

Because the law relies on MiCA’s definition of crypto assets, it slots neatly into the EU’s shared regulatory language. That makes the German model easier for other member states to study, and potentially copy, if Berlin’s projected revenue materializes.