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The cryptocurrency industry is once again debating "who should hold the private keys" due to the $130 million theft case involving the Coldcard wallet

A wallet security incident involving approximately $130 million in Bitcoin losses is reigniting discussions in the crypto industry about asset custody models: should Bitcoin holders rely on personal self-custody or turn to institutional custody? Hardware wallet manufacturer Coldcard had a vulnerability in its firmware in 2021 that led to some mnemonic phrases generated by the device being predictably risky. This vulnerability was discovered years later, and approximately 5,200 addresses and about 2,000 BTC have been stolen, with losses amounting to around $130 million.After the incident, some investors began to turn to Wall Street custody products. Data shows that the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF saw a net inflow of about $626 million within days of the incident. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas stated that such security incidents could further drive funds into ETFs. However, the Bitcoin core community still insists on the self-custody concept. Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp stated that recent events should not undermine users' confidence in self-custody and pointed out that third-party custody also carries risks. Bitcoin Core early developer Peter Todd also believes that self-custody has a better long-term safety record than centralized institutions.Onramp co-founder Michael Tanguma believes that both options have flaws. He stated that concentrating a large amount of assets in a single institution creates a "honey pot," while hardware wallets face risks related to supply chains, firmware, and random number generation. Tanguma proposed a "multi-institution custody" solution, where multiple regulated institutions hold keys through a multi-signature mechanism, requiring multiple institutions to jointly sign any transaction to reduce single points of failure. However, this model has also sparked controversy. Critics argue that while multi-institution custody enhances security, it also introduces permissioned management, conflicting with the decentralized ideals originally pursued by Bitcoin. As Bitcoin gradually enters the fields of pensions, trusts, and institutional asset allocation, the industry is seeking new custody solutions suitable for long-term wealth management. The Coldcard vulnerability incident once again highlights that achieving a balance between security, decentralization, and usability remains a core challenge facing the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Holding 28,600 BTC, worth 1.8 billion USD, the wallet cluster is suspected to be linked to the Zhimin Qian money laundering case

According to on-chain detective Specter, it has discovered a cluster of wallets holding 28,600 BTC, worth approximately $1.8 billion, suspected to be related to wallets previously attributed to the money laundering case of Zhimin Qian.A few weeks ago, a Bitcoin wallet that had been dormant since 2017 transferred 1,020 BTC, worth about $60 million, and began distributing funds to multiple addresses in a manner consistent with money laundering activities. After tracking these transactions, Specter found that the related wallet cluster was connected to publicly associated addresses investigated in the UK concerning Zhimin Qian. From 2014 to 2017, Zhimin Qian organized large-scale investment fraud in China, affecting over 128,000 victims. UK authorities later traced a significant amount of criminal proceeds flowing into Bitcoin, with the Met Police ultimately seizing 60,000 BTC, marking the largest cryptocurrency seizure in UK history at that time.In July 2021, UK authorities transferred the seized BTC, creating identifiable on-chain associations. Following the recent transfer of 1,020 BTC, Specter identified additional wallets, which currently hold a total of 28,600 BTC, worth approximately $1.8 billion. These wallets have largely been dormant since June 2021. Based on on-chain evidence, it remains unclear whether these wallets are still controlled by the same actor, other custodians, or have been identified by law enforcement.

The UK's fraud review suggests that judges accept training on crypto money laundering and AI fraud, mentioning over 61,000 BTC seizure cases

A fraud review commissioned by the UK government suggests that the Judicial College should provide training for all judges and magistrates in England and Wales to address the increasing cases involving AI fraud and the use of cryptocurrency for money laundering. The report states that the overall Fraud Act 2006 can be used to handle AI fraud, but the issue lies in the courts' lack of preparedness to hear related cases.The report recommends evaluating whether the existing "long and complex trials" course should be updated or replaced with specialized modules on fraud and related crimes, and considers mandatory training for judges who may hear complex fraud cases. The report claims that fraud could soon account for half of all crime in England and Wales, with an estimated 4.1 million cases occurring within a year by June 2025, affecting 1 in every 14 adults and 1 in every 4 businesses. The Financial Ombudsman Service estimates that currently over half of investment scams involve crypto assets.The report also mentions the case of Qian Zhimin, who operated a Ponzi scheme in China, defrauding over 128,000 victims of approximately £5 billion and laundering the proceeds into Bitcoin. This case resulted in the largest confirmed Bitcoin seizure in UK history, exceeding 61,000 BTC, and Qian Zhimin was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in prison at Southwark Crown Court in November.
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