Summary
Zhimin Qian, a Chinese national, has pleaded not guilty to charges of Bitcoin laundering in UK court. She was accused of handling illegal cryptocurrency in connection with a large money laundering operations.
Qian Faces Money Laundering Charges
Zhimin Qian, popularly known as Yadi Zhang, stood in front of UK court and pleaded not guilty to laundering Bitcoin. According to Bloomberg, Qian was arrested and charged with two counts of money laundering. The UK’s Criminal Prosecution Service alleges that Qian possessed and transferred illegal cryptocurrency as part of a broader criminal operation prior to April 23.
The Involvement of Jian Wen
Authorities claim that Qian worked with Jian Wen, who has been sentenced for 6 years on the count of being involved in laundering plot. Police conducted raid on Wen’s residence to find 61,000 Bitcoin, currently valued over $4 billion. This arrest on Wed led the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on Qian.
“Crypto Queen” Allegations
Qian is infamous with the name “Crypto Queen” , as she is accused of frauding 130,000 Chinese investors out of $5.6 billion between 2014 and 2017. However Qian denies all accusation and intends to fight back vigorously.
Trial Set for 2025
The trial is scheduled to begin in September 2025 at Southwark Crown Court, where another co-defendant, Seng Hok Ling, has also pleaded not guilty to related charges.
Qian’s case has drawn significant attention, as the broader legal proceedings around cryptocurrency crimes continue to evolve globally like the one which recently occured in Hong Kong.