Chinese Businesswoman Faces Jail After $6 Billion Bitcoin Fraud Seizure in UK

Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, a 47-year-old Chinese national nicknamed the “goddess of wealth,” faces up to 14 years in prison after police in London made the UK’s largest-ever cryptocurrency seizure worth over $6 billion in Bitcoin.

Qian orchestrated a Ponzi scheme in China between 2014 and 2017, defrauding more than 128,000 victims. After fleeing to the UK in 2018 using false documents, she attempted to launder the illicit funds through property purchases, including a £23-million London mansion.

Qian pleaded guilty on September 29, 2025, to acquiring and possessing criminal property. She will be sentenced after a two-day hearing at Southwark Crown Court.

Two accomplices are also facing justice:

• Seng Hok Ling, a 47-year-old Malaysian, admitted to money laundering.
• Jian Wen was jailed for 6 years and 8 months last year after being found with Bitcoin wallets worth over $2 billion.

The scheme drew in victims through public events and false claims of government support, exploiting inexperienced investors. Individual losses were significant, with some families losing their entire savings.

Police made the historic Bitcoin seizure before arresting the accomplices, recovering over 61,000 Bitcoins. Currently, around 1,300 victims have come forward, and British authorities are working on a compensation scheme through civil proceedings in London’s High Court.