Zhimin Qian, jailed by a UK court for defrauding thousands of people in a Ponzi scheme, is seen in this handout image released by the police and obtained by Reuters on November 10, 2025. Metropolitan Police/Reuters London AP —

A Chinese woman who was found with 5 billion pounds ($6.6 billion) in Bitcoin after defrauding more than 128,000 people in China in a Ponzi scheme was sentenced by a UK court on Tuesday to over 11 years in prison.

Police said the investigation into Zhimin Qian, 47, led to officers recovering devices holding 61,000 Bitcoin in the largest cryptocurrency seizure in the UK.

Qian, dubbed “cryptoqueen” by British media, was arrested in April 2024 after spending years evading the authorities and living an “extravagant” lifestyle in Europe, staying in luxury hote

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