China’s “Goddess of Wealth” Case: Inside the $6.7 Billion U.K. Crypto Seizure

The guilty plea of Chinese national Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang and sometimes referred to as China’s “Goddess of Wealth,” is one of the biggest moments in global crypto crime history. She was involved in the largest digital asset seizure ever made in the United Kingdom, worth $6.7 billion. The case drew worldwide attention not just because of the huge amount of money involved, but because it shows how skilled authorities have become at tracing illegal transactions across countries and across different blockchains.

But this incident is more than just a major courtroom story. It highlights how quickly fraud can spread online, how easily people can be tricked, and why international cooperation is essential for catching criminals. For anyone using crypto, whether for savings, investing, or everyday use, this case is an important reminder to stay careful, use trusted platforms, and pay attention as global rules and security standards continue to develop.

Understanding the Crypto Seizure

The U.K. operation that led to Zhang’s arrest and guilty plea involved a massive seizure of 61,000 Bitcoin. According to prosecutors, the Bitcoin came from money laundering tied to a large fraud scheme targeting thousands of investors, mainly in China.  Qian was the mastermind behind a massive Ponzi scheme in China that defrauded over 128,000 victims between 2014 and 2017. She used her company, Lantian Gerui, to attract billions in deposits from investors, promising high returns. The payouts to early investors were funded by deposits from new investors.

Investigators say the scheme collected more than a billion dollars before it collapsed. The stolen funds were moved across different countries, hidden through multiple crypto wallets, and eventually converted into Bitcoin to make the trail harder to follow. But blockchain analysis technology that examines the movement of digital assets, helped authorities trace the flow of the money.

Qian fled China in 2017 and was eventually arrested in York, UK, in April 2024. The arrest followed a police investigation that led to the seizure of 61,000 Bitcoin, which was hidden in digital wallets and devices. This is believed to be the largest cryptocurrency seizure in UK history and one of the largest globally.

Who Is Yadi Zhang and How a Fake Identity Hid a Massive Crypto Scam?

Yadi Zhang is the false name used by a Chinese woman named Zhimin Qian, who ran one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in China. Between 2014 and 2017, she used her company, Tianjin Lantian Gerui Electronic Technology, to convince people she was earning huge profits through Bitcoin mining. She promised returns as high as 300%, which attracted more than 128,000 investors. But none of it was real, she was simply using money from new investors to pay earlier ones.

When Chinese authorities began investigating, Qian escaped the country using a fake passport from St. Kitts and Nevis. Under the name “Yadi Zhang,” she spent years traveling across Europe and living in luxury hotels to avoid being caught. In the UK, she worked with an accomplice named Jian Wen to try and clean the stolen money by buying expensive property, including renting a £5 million home in Hampstead. But moving large amounts of Bitcoin into cash became difficult because banks require strict identity checks (KYC rules), which raised suspicions.

UK police started investigating after multiple failed attempts to buy high-value real estate. During a 2018 raid, Qian pretended to be sick to avoid questioning, and the full scale of the crime wasn’t discovered right away. Later, police identified her through surveillance on another accomplice. When investigators found important wallet passkeys, they were able to seize more than 61,000 Bitcoin one of the largest crypto seizures in history.

Qian was finally arrested in April 2024. She pleaded guilty to money laundering in September 2025 and was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison for possessing and transferring criminal property.

The case of Yadi Zhang and the U.K.’s record-breaking $6.7 billion crypto seizure is an important moment in the fight against digital crime. It proves that even the biggest and most complicated crypto scams can be uncovered when countries work together and use blockchain technology to track transactions. For everyday users, the message is simple, Be careful, stay updated, and always use trusted platforms when dealing with crypto.

This incident also shows that as digital finance grows, so does the need for responsible use and strong security. The lessons from this case will help shape how the crypto industry is protected, regulated, and trusted in the future.