Chinese Government Crypto Seizures and Enforcement Actions: How China Banned Cryptocurrency Completely
23 May 2025
Crypto Risk Calculator
Under China's 2025 Crypto Ban
Since June 1, 2025, holding cryptocurrency in China is illegal with severe consequences. This calculator shows potential fines and risks based on actual enforcement practices.
On June 1, 2025, China made it illegal for any citizen to own, trade, or mine cryptocurrency. Not just exchanges. Not just businesses. Cryptocurrency itself. If you had Bitcoin in your wallet, you were breaking the law. If you used a VPN to access Binance or Coinbase, you were breaking the law. If you ran a mining rig in your basement, you were breaking the law. And if you were caught? Your coins were seized. Your devices confiscated. Your bank accounts frozen.
The End of a 16-Year Crackdown
China didn’t wake up one day and decide to ban crypto. It spent 16 years building toward this moment. The first warning came in June 2009, when authorities declared virtual currencies couldn’t be used to buy real goods. That was just the start. By December 2013, banks were barred from handling Bitcoin transactions. In April 2014, trading accounts were shut down. In 2017, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) were outlawed, and all domestic crypto exchanges were forced offline. In 2021, mining was banned outright-thousands of rigs were shut down overnight, and miners fled to Kazakhstan, the U.S., and elsewhere. The 2025 ban wasn’t a surprise. It was the final nail. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) made it official on May 30, 2025: all cryptocurrency activity within China’s borders was now illegal. No exceptions. No loopholes. No gray areas. Even holding crypto in a foreign wallet was considered a violation if you were physically in China.How the Seizures Work
The government didn’t just pass a law-it built a system to enforce it. Authorities now monitor bank transfers for signs of crypto purchases. They scan internet traffic for connections to known crypto exchanges. They use AI tools to detect patterns linked to wallet addresses. When someone is flagged, investigators can request access to their digital devices. If they find private keys or wallet files, those assets are seized immediately. In one case in Guangdong, police raided a home and found 12 laptops, each linked to thousands of Bitcoin. The owner claimed the coins were inherited. Authorities didn’t accept that. They seized all devices and froze the associated wallets. The total value? Over $400 million. No trial. No appeal. Just confiscation under the new decree. The legal basis is simple: the PBOC classifies cryptocurrency as a “high-risk speculative asset” with no legal standing. That means it’s not protected property. It’s not like cash or gold. It’s treated like contraband. Once seized, the government doesn’t sell it. It doesn’t auction it. It holds it. Or, in some cases, transfers it to state-controlled wallets for long-term storage.Why China Did This
This isn’t about protecting people from scams. It’s about control. China’s real goal is to make the digital yuan-their own central bank digital currency (CBDC)-the only digital money citizens can use. The digital yuan is traceable. It’s controlled by the state. It can be programmed to expire, restrict spending, or even be frozen remotely. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin? They can’t be tracked. They can’t be stopped. They bypass capital controls. That’s unacceptable to Beijing. By eliminating private crypto, China removes competition for its own digital currency. It stops citizens from moving wealth outside the system. It prevents capital flight. It ensures every digital transaction flows through state-monitored channels. This isn’t just financial regulation-it’s digital authoritarianism.
International Fallout
China’s ban didn’t stay inside its borders. In October 2025, a Chinese national living in the UK pleaded guilty to running a crypto scam that defrauded over 128,000 people. UK police seized nearly $7 billion in Bitcoin from her home-largest single seizure in history. The laptops held keys to 61,000 Bitcoin. The victims were mostly Chinese citizens. Now, the UK government wants to use the funds to help pay for public services. China demands the coins be returned to the victims. No agreement has been reached. The coins sit in a secure UK vault, a symbol of how China’s crackdown has spilled into global law enforcement. Even outside China, the ban reshaped markets. Mining equipment manufacturers in China saw sales collapse. Crypto exchanges like OKX and Huobi moved their headquarters to Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong. Bitcoin’s hash rate dropped 50% overnight in 2021-and never fully recovered in Asia. The global crypto market became less centralized, but also less liquid in the region that once drove most of its volume.What People Are Doing Now
Despite the ban, some Chinese citizens still hold crypto. They use offline wallets. They store keys on paper. They trade peer-to-peer in cash. Others use darknet markets or encrypted messaging apps to swap coins. But the risk is extreme. If caught, fines can reach up to 10 times the value of the seized assets. Jail time is possible. Some have been charged with “illegal business operations” or “financial fraud” just for holding Bitcoin. A few have tried to leave. In 2024, over 18,000 Chinese citizens applied for residency in Portugal, Georgia, and Malaysia-not for tourism, but to escape the crypto ban. They brought their wallets with them. Many now live in crypto-friendly zones, quietly holding their assets while waiting for a political shift that may never come.
The Digital Yuan Advantage
China isn’t just banning crypto-it’s pushing its own alternative hard. The digital yuan is now used in over 200 cities. More than 500 million people have opened wallets. It’s integrated into public transit, utility payments, and even school lunches. The government even gives out digital yuan “red packets” during holidays, just like cash gifts. The message is clear: if you want to use digital money, use ours. Unlike Bitcoin, the digital yuan doesn’t need a blockchain. It runs on a centralized ledger controlled by the PBOC. Every transaction is logged. Every user is identified. Every payment can be tracked. For the state, it’s perfect. For the individual, it’s a trade-off: convenience for surveillance.Will China Ever Reverse This?
Almost certainly not. The ban is too deeply tied to China’s broader economic and political goals. Reversing it would mean giving up control over digital finance. It would open the door to capital flight. It would undermine the digital yuan’s dominance. And it would signal weakness. Analysts who claim China might one day legalize Bitcoin are ignoring the pattern. The government has spent over a decade eliminating private alternatives. It has invested billions in surveillance tech, digital currency infrastructure, and enforcement. There’s no indication this will change. If anything, penalties are getting harsher. In late 2025, a new law introduced mandatory reporting by internet service providers on suspected crypto-related traffic. Fines for using VPNs to access exchanges now carry jail terms of up to three years.What This Means for the Rest of the World
China’s move has set a precedent. No other country has gone this far. The U.S. regulates crypto. The EU taxes it. Japan licenses exchanges. But only China has made ownership illegal. That’s why this matters beyond its borders. It shows what’s possible when a government has total control over its financial system-and the will to use it. For investors, it’s a warning: if your government decides crypto is a threat, it can disappear overnight. For developers, it’s a lesson: decentralized tech doesn’t stand a chance against centralized power. And for anyone who believes in financial freedom, it’s a sobering reminder that digital money isn’t inherently free. It’s only as free as the system allows it to be.Is it still possible to own Bitcoin in China?
No. Since June 1, 2025, owning, trading, or mining cryptocurrency is illegal in China. Even holding Bitcoin in a foreign wallet while physically in China violates the law. Authorities can seize devices and wallets without a court order. There are no legal exceptions.
What happens if you get caught with crypto in China?
If caught, your cryptocurrency assets are immediately seized. Your devices-phones, laptops, hardware wallets-are confiscated. You may face fines up to 10 times the value of the crypto. In serious cases, especially if linked to large-scale trading or mining, you could be charged with illegal business operations and face jail time. There is no legal process to appeal the seizure.
Why did China ban crypto mining?
China banned crypto mining in June 2021, citing excessive electricity use and environmental damage. But the real reason was control. Mining gives individuals power to generate currency outside the state system. By shutting down mines, China removed a major source of decentralized financial activity and pushed miners overseas, weakening Bitcoin’s global infrastructure.
Can you use a VPN to access crypto exchanges from China?
Using a VPN to access foreign crypto exchanges is now illegal under China’s 2025 ban. Authorities actively monitor and block known VPN traffic. If detected, you can be fined, have your internet service suspended, or face criminal charges. Many people still use them, but the risk has increased significantly since 2025.
Is the digital yuan the same as cryptocurrency?
No. The digital yuan is a central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued and fully controlled by the People’s Bank of China. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, it’s not decentralized. Every transaction is tracked by the government. You can’t mine it. You can’t trade it anonymously. It’s designed to replace cash and eliminate private cryptocurrencies, not compete with them.
bob marley
November 2, 2025 AT 11:57Oh wow, China finally figured out that letting people own money they can’t control is a bad idea. Guess they skipped the ‘free market’ lecture in school and went straight to ‘total control 101.’ Meanwhile, the rest of the world is still pretending decentralization means anything when your local bank can freeze your account for saying the wrong thing on Twitter.
Jeremy Jaramillo
November 3, 2025 AT 20:09This is one of the most thorough breakdowns I’ve seen on how digital authoritarianism works in practice. The key detail everyone misses is that the digital yuan isn’t just a currency-it’s a behavioral tracking tool. Every transaction becomes a data point. That’s not innovation. That’s surveillance with a user interface.
Sammy Krigs
November 4, 2025 AT 13:10so like… if you have bitcoin in a hardware wallet and its in your basement and you never connect it to the internet… is that still illegal? because like… if its not online… how do they even know? idk just sayin
naveen kumar
November 5, 2025 AT 03:04Of course China banned crypto. The entire narrative is a Western propaganda tool. The real reason? The U.S. and IMF have been pressuring China to destabilize its financial system through crypto arbitrage. This ban is a defensive maneuver against economic warfare. The digital yuan is not surveillance-it’s sovereignty. And anyone who says otherwise is either paid by Wall Street or doesn’t understand monetary history.
Bruce Bynum
November 5, 2025 AT 04:13People forget that money is just a tool. China’s choosing to build a tool that works for its people at scale. Sure, it’s controlling. But so is paying taxes. The difference? This one doesn’t need a middleman. If you want freedom, go live somewhere else. Don’t yell about it from your iPhone.
Wesley Grimm
November 6, 2025 AT 17:11Let’s be honest-the $400 million seizure in Guangdong was a PR stunt. The actual value of seized crypto is negligible compared to China’s GDP. The real cost? The brain drain. The engineers, miners, and devs who left. That’s the true economic loss. And the digital yuan? It’s a glorified debit card with a blockchain-shaped sticker on it.