US Stole a Chinese Scam King's $15B Bitcoin? Here's "How"
BeInCrypto••world
Key Points:
- Chen Zhi, founder of Cambodia’s Prince Holding Group and accused of running a massive scam empire, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China in January 2026, ending years of speculation about his prosecution.
- In 2020, Chen’s Bitcoin mining pool was hacked, resulting in the loss of over 127,000 Bitcoin (worth around $4 billion at the time), which remained dormant for nearly four years before moving in 2024, according to Chinese cybersecurity authorities.
- The US Justice Department seized 127,271 Bitcoin from Chen in 2025, marking a record cryptocurrency forfeiture, but has not disclosed how it accessed the private keys, fueling Chinese allegations that the US government may have hacked and stolen the
