# UK court ruling strengthens government’s bid to retain $5 billion in seized bitcoin

https://mins.news/en/item/97707

- CoinDesk, 2026-10-13 09:25 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/10/13/u-k-court-ruling-boosts-government-s-chances-of-keeping-gbp3-8-billion-seized-bitcoin

> The ruling concerns 61,000 BTC seized by the Metropolitan Police during an investigation into Zhimin Qian, who pleaded guilty to defrauding thousands of people in China.

## Related coverage

- [UK court says being defrauded is not enough to claim $5 billion Bitcoin fortune](https://mins.news/en/item/98294) — CryptoSlate, 2026-10-13
- [UK High Court says Chinese law applies to claims over $5 billion in seized bitcoin](https://mins.news/en/item/97916) — The Block, 2026-10-13