Zhimin Qian, a Chinese language nationwide extensively referred to as the “Crypto Queen,” faces sentencing within the UK after admitting to offences tied to what authorities name the biggest cryptocurrency seizure ever recorded.
Based on courtroom paperwork, Qian – also called the Chinese language “Goddess Of Wealth” – pleaded responsible on September 29, 2025 to buying and possessing prison property within the type of Bitcoin. Reviews have disclosed that police seized greater than 61,000 BTC throughout a 2018 raid, an quantity value no less than $6.5 billion at present market charges.
Main Seizure Prompts Court docket Motion
Investigators say the haul got here from an funding scheme run in China between 2014 and 2017. Prosecutors hyperlink the exercise to an organization named Tianjin Lantian Gerui Digital Expertise Co Ltd, which allegedly promised excessive returns to hundreds of individuals.
Reviews put the variety of victims at greater than 128,000. That determine has raised questions on how any recovered funds may very well be shared amongst so many claimants.
China’s “Goddess Of Wealth” Faces Jail In UK Over $6 Billion Bitcoin Scamhttps://t.co/LdnTWVl3xz pic.twitter.com/M7b329kEkB
— NDTV WORLD (@NDTVWORLD) November 10, 2025
The Arrest And The Proof Path
Based on police statements, Qian left China round 2017 and later used false journey paperwork, together with a St Kitts & Nevis passport, to dwell within the UK. In 2018, officers searched a property in Hampstead and located wallets and gadgets that helped them hint the crypto holdings.
Data proven in courtroom hyperlink transfers and accounts to the scheme that defrauded buyers. The gadgets seized in that operation are central to the Crown’s case and to plans for sufferer compensation.
Compensation And Cross-Border Challenges
Reviews have outlined the authorized and sensible hurdles forward. The Bitcoin seized in 2018 has risen massively in worth since then, which complicates selections about return cash to these harmed.
BTCUSD buying and selling at $104,949 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView
Legal professionals say cross-border claims between UK authorities and Chinese language victims may take years to kind out. Primarily based on studies, one fear is conflicting claims over who’s entitled to the belongings and whether or not victims will obtain the present market worth of the Bitcoin or the worth on the time of seizure.
Sentencing Timeline And Doable Penalties
Based on courtroom sources, Qian may resist 14 years behind bars below the fees she admitted. Sentencing was anticipated to happen quickly after the responsible plea, though actual dates haven’t been confirmed publicly by the courtroom in all retailers.
Judges will contemplate the dimensions of the loss, the variety of victims, and the function Qian performed in transferring or hiding the funds when deciding the sentence.
Investigations And Subsequent Steps
UK authorities together with the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service are coordinating efforts to safe the remaining belongings and to arrange processes for victims to say funds.
Featured picture from Gemini, chart from TradingView
Editorial Course of for bitcoinist is centered on delivering completely researched, correct, and unbiased content material. We uphold strict sourcing requirements, and every web page undergoes diligent assessment by our crew of high know-how specialists and seasoned editors. This course of ensures the integrity, relevance, and worth of our content material for our readers.
