Taiwan's Largest Virtual Currency Merchant CoinThink Technology Money Laundering Case Sentencing Announced, Mastermind Sentenced to 22 Years

According to reports from Lianhe Zaobao, Taiwan's largest virtual currency merchant, Bixiang Technology, colluded with fraud groups to launder 2.3 billion New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 92.13 million Singapore Dollars). The Shilin District Court issued a first-instance verdict on July 16. The mastermind, company head Shi Qiren, who had a background in the Tiandao Alliance gang, was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and criminal proceeds exceeding 43.71 million New Taiwan Dollars were confiscated. It is reported that Shi Qiren was the head of the Taiwan region of the offshore virtual asset exchange CoinW (CoinWin). Since CoinW had not completed the anti-money laundering compliance registration with the Taiwan Financial Supervisory Commission, he acquired Bixiang Technology, which had passed the compliance declaration, as a shell company for 19.2 million New Taiwan Dollars in October 2023. Subsequently, 45 physical stores were opened across Taiwan to illegally sell Tether (USDT), collaborating with fraud groups to deceive the public through methods such as fake investments, fake friendships, and fake recruitment. Between January 2024 and April 2025, a total of 1,539 victims suffered losses, with the defrauded amount reaching 1.275 billion New Taiwan Dollars, and the overall money laundering amount exceeding 2.3 billion New Taiwan Dollars.