Китай указывает на государственный хакерский след после конфискации 127 000 BTC США Translation: China Points to State-Level Hacker Trail Following US Confiscation of 127,000 BTC

The Chinese Cyber Emergency Response Center (CVERC) has classified the seizure of 127,271 BTC by U.S. authorities in October as a cyberattack orchestrated by a «state-level hacker group.» This was reported by local media.

Experts at CVERC noted in their published report that the seized assets were originally stolen from the LuBian mining pool in 2020. At that time, the stolen 127,426 BTC, valued at approximately $3.5 billion, belonged to Chen Zhi, the head of Cambodia’s Prince Group.

The breach remained largely unnoticed until 2025 when the U.S. Department of Justice charged the businessman with orchestrating criminal activities «worth billions.» Consequently, the agency confiscated the bitcoins, which had since increased in value to around $15 billion.

CVERC reconstructed the sequence of events and characterized the actions of U.S. officials as a typical «thieves’ brawl.»

Chinese analysts believe that the characteristics of the LuBian hack indicate the use of advanced hacking tools available at the state level. The stolen assets remained stagnant for nearly four years, which deviates from the usual behavior of cybercriminals seeking profit.

Additionally, over 1,500 attempts by the LuBian team to discuss the return of the bitcoins in exchange for a reward went unanswered.

In the summer of 2024, the stolen assets were moved to new addresses, which the analytics platform Arkham later associated with the U.S. government. Afterwards, the bitcoins again became inactive.

CVERC experts assert, based on their blockchain data analysis, that the seized funds are not connected to criminal sources, contrary to claims made by U.S. authorities. About 17,800 BTC were mined by LuBian, around 2,300 BTC were pool fees, and approximately 107,100 coins were transferred from exchanges and other legal platforms.

The statements from the Chinese government organization could lead to a «cold crypto war» between the U.S. and China, according to Naeem Aslam, investment director at Zaye Capital Markets.

«As blockchain data confirms transactions but not ownership rights, this confrontation could redefine the sovereignty of digital assets and the legitimacy of law enforcement,» he emphasized.

It is worth noting that in March, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to establish a national reserve of confiscated cryptocurrencies.