Wallets connected to the hacked Chinese mining pool LuBian have transferred 15,959 bitcoin, worth about $1.83 billion at current prices, to four new addresses. The movement marks the first major onchain activity linked to the long-dormant wallets since the 2020 theft that remains one of crypto’s largest unsolved cases.
According to blockchain analytics firm OnchainLens, which cited data from Arkham Intelligence, the funds were split across four transfers: two tranches of 4,999 BTC (about $539.8 million each), one of 3,424 BTC ($369.7 million), and another of 2,535 BTC ($274.4 million). The timing and even distribution suggest a coordinated operation rather than isolated movements.
The bitcoin flows were first flagged by onchain trackers late Thursday. Analysts said the destination wallets are newly created and show no prior links to exchanges or mixers, a detail that has raised questions about whether the coins are being prepared for laundering or internal reshuffling by whoever controls them.
Investor Takeaway
The 2020 LuBian Heist
LuBian rose to prominence in China’s mining scene before collapsing in late 2020 amid reports of missing funds. Investigations later revealed that 127,426 BTC — now valued at roughly $14.5 billion — had been stolen in what was then the largest crypto theft by dollar value. At the time, the bitcoin was worth about $3.5 billion.
While the Mt. Gox breach in 2014 involved a greater volume of bitcoin — around 744,000 BTC — the lower price of the asset back then meant LuBian’s dollar losses far exceeded any prior case. The mining pool’s collapse drew attention to the opaque management structures and weak internal controls common among smaller, privately operated pools.
Blockchain analysts said the LuBian hack remains largely unresolved, with no public record of recovered funds or arrests. Industry observers believe that insiders may have orchestrated the theft, though no suspects have been identified by Chinese authorities.
Renewed Scrutiny and Market Implications
The sudden movement of nearly $2 billion worth of bitcoin has reignited scrutiny of legacy hacks and dormant wallets that hold substantial amounts of stolen cryptocurrency. Investigators are expected to track whether the four addresses consolidate their balances or start interacting with known exchange wallets, which would indicate an attempt to liquidate the funds.
Past examples, such as movements from Bitfinex and Mt. Gox-related wallets, have often been followed by market volatility, although onchain analysts caution that there is no immediate sign of liquidation in this case. “These are fresh, clean wallets,” OnchainLens said in its post. “We have not yet observed outbound flows to mixing or trading platforms.”
The transfers also coincide with renewed attention on mining-related custody risks. The 2020 LuBian case, long seen as an outlier, is now cited as a reminder of how internal security failures at infrastructure providers can trigger large losses that ripple through the ecosystem years later.
Investor Takeaway
Unresolved Questions Around Custody and Control
Four years on, it remains unclear who controls the stolen LuBian coins. The lack of public communication from Chinese authorities has left open speculation about whether the original operators or external attackers are behind the recent transfers. Blockchain security firms said the coordinated activity suggests access to the original private keys, possibly retained by insiders involved in the original breach.
The market reaction to the news has so far been muted. Bitcoin traded around $114,700 on Friday, largely unchanged on the day. Traders said they were watching for any signs of liquidation from the newly active wallets before expecting broader market impact.