The sale of nearly $3 billion worth of bitcoin by Germany has been labeled as "market intervention" by experts, as it caused a selloff and a 7% drop in prices. While Germany claims to have a legal reason for the sale, the legal justification is considered to be in a "gray area" by some observers. The decision to sell the confiscated bitcoin was based on a legal precedent that prohibits speculation with public funds, but some lawyers question why the agency presented their actions as a supposed duty. Experts have raised concerns over the unclear boundaries of when selling bitcoin becomes an act of emergency, as the volatile market always carries a risk of significant loss of value.