1.9 million USDT sitting in a police evidence locker—no one dares to claim it?

Recently, the police in Jiayu, Hubei, seized a large amount of digital assets while handling a case—nearly 1.9 million USDT, which is close to 13 million RMB at current prices. Here’s the problem: they can’t find the owner of the funds.

The police have already issued a public notice, giving the holder six months to claim the assets. But the conditions are pretty strict: the claimant must show up in person and prove the source of the funds is legitimate. Think about it—anyone who dares to claim this huge sum has to clearly explain where it came from. If they can’t, they might face a criminal investigation.

This has sparked a lot of discussion in the crypto community. Some speculate the USDT might be linked to illicit activities, so the original owner doesn’t dare to come forward. Others are concerned about another issue: if no one claims it, will this become the first large-scale crypto asset forfeiture case in China? After on-chain assets are seized by law enforcement, what happens to them? Will they be destroyed, or auctioned off and converted to cash?

The six-month countdown has begun. Will this “ownerless fortune” eventually be claimed by its rightful owner, or will it end up in the national treasury?