US Marshals to Auction Off Bitcoins Worth About $52M

Interested in getting in on the Bitcoin boom? Here's your chance.

The US Marshals this week announced plans to auction approximately 3,813 bitcoins, which were seized in connection with various federal criminal, civil, and administrative cases. According to Bitcoin.com's price converter, that's about $52 million worth of bitcoins, as of this afternoon.

The auction will take place on Jan. 22 during a six-hour period from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. ET. The bitcoins will be offered for sale in 11 blocks: five blocks of 500 bitcoins, five blocks of 100, and one block of approximately 813.

The digital loot won't come cheap, though. To even place a bid, you'll need to provide a $200,000 deposit, which will be credited towards the purchase price if you win, and returned if you don't. Plus, the US Marshals will only be accepting cash.

"Bids that are contingent on financing terms of any kind will not be considered," the federal law enforcement agency wrote in a FAQ page about the auction. "All bids must be made in US dollars."

Those interested in participating in the auction will need to register with the US Marshals by Jan. 19 at noon ET. When the auction kicks off, preregistered bidders will be able to submit their bids via email.

"You will not have the opportunity to view other bids," the US Marshals wrote. "You will not have the opportunity to change your bid once submitted." Winning bidders will be notified on Jan. 22.

This isn't the first time the US government has auctioned off a huge chunk of bitcoins. In 2014, the US Marshals auctioned off more than $17 million worth of bitcoins seized after the takedown of the Silk Road online black market.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.