A compensation scheme is being proposed by UK authorities for victims of a Chinese investment scam, even as the government signals plans to keep the bulk of a £5 billion ($7.2 billion) Bitcoin fortune seized from the fraudsters.
The coins, confiscated from a Hampstead mansion in London in 2018, represent one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures in UK history and highlight the complexities of cross-border financial crime and digital asset management.
Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, orchestrated an investment fraud in China between 2014 and 2017 that defrauded more than 128,000 investors of roughly 43 billion yuan ($6 billion).
After converting the stolen funds into Bitcoin, Qian fled to the UK under a false identity.
Her accomplice, Seng Hok Ling, assisted in laundering the assets.
Both pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges at Southwark Crown Court last month and await sentencing in November.
Authorities recovered 61,000 Bitcoins valued at $6.7 billion at the time of seizure, a figure that has since risen to approximately $7.2 billion due to Bitcoin’s market appreciation.
Additional cryptocurrency worth £67 million was later retrieved after Qian disclosed access codes hidden inside a pocket sewn into her jogging bottoms, revealing the unusual lengths taken to conceal the assets.
During a High Court hearing in London, the Director of Public Prosecutions outlined plans for a compensation scheme aimed at returning funds to those affected.
William Glover, representing a group of victims, stated,
“Some investors have suffered huge personal loss in the form of lives, marriages, fracturing families and businesses.”
Jackson Ng, lawyer for another set of investors, added,
“Given the unprecedented scale of the seizure and public debate about any potential surplus, our position is clear: victims’ restitution must come first.”
Despite these assurances, lawyers caution that verifying claims will be challenging.
Jack Ding from Duan & Duan, representing around 10,000 victims, noted that “some materials lack sufficient information to establish a clear connection,” making full restitution of Bitcoin’s current value unlikely.
Jack Ding is the assistant managing partner at Duan & Duan, who represents a large group of victims in a complex case to recover seized assets.
Courts traditionally focus on returning principal amounts plus reasonable interest, not speculative gains.
The haul has drawn interest from UK Treasury officials as a potential source of revenue amid a projected £30 billion fiscal gap by 2029.
However, legal experts warn that the seized Bitcoin cannot be counted in fiscal forecasts, and liquidating such a large position could disrupt markets.
Authorities face a delicate balancing act between victim compensation, legal obligations, and market stability.
The case highlights challenges in handling cryptocurrency fraud spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Many victims lack experience with digital finance, complicating documentation and claim verification.
A civil recovery case filed in September 2024 will ultimately decide how the assets are distributed, with proceedings expected to continue through January 2026.
The outcome may set precedents for international cooperation in addressing digital asset crimes.
Coinlive considers whether home countries should take a stronger role in helping victims when crimes occur across borders.
The Chinese investors in this case face the double challenge of recovering funds from a foreign legal system while navigating domestic restrictions on crypto.
This situation raises broader questions about how governments, law enforcement, and the global crypto ecosystem can coordinate to protect investors in an increasingly borderless financial landscape.
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