Victims of the LuBian Mining Pool Bitcoin Hack
In December 2020, more than 127,000 Bitcoin, now worth over $14 billion USD, was stolen from the LuBian Mining Pool, one of the largest Bitcoin mining operations in China at the time. Today, those same coins have been identified, traced, and seized by the United States government as part of the federal investigation into Chen Zhi, the chairman of Prince Holding Group.
If you lost Bitcoin stored or mined through LuBian, you may be one of the unknown victims whose digital assets ended up in the massive wallet now controlled by the U.S. Department of Justice. Since the U.S. Government wants to forfeit those funds, they are unlikely to receive any “notice of seizure” explaining your rights to claim the seized asset. But the actual victims who can trace their lost funds to what was seized absolutely have a right to file a verified claim for court action.
China argues: “the United States used the pretext of seizing criminal proceeds, but in reality it was part of a complex operation involving the same attack actor.” The U.S. government claims the seizure was a legitimate law enforcement action.
Attorneys for Mining Pool Bitcoin Hacks
Sammis Law Firm, P.A. represents victims worldwide in complex cryptocurrency forfeiture and recovery matters. Looking at the LuBian hack is a great way to understand how civil asset forfeiture attorneys evaluate cases for individuals, miners, and businesses who believe their Bitcoin was hacked and then seize for forfeiture.
In these cases, the victims are unlikely to receive a “notice of seizure” from the U.S. Government. But civil asset forfeiture attorneys can help clients understand the best ways to file a claim and assert their rights. DOJ often steers “victims” to resources on how to file a petition for remission or mitigation, but those petitions often end with a form letter nine (9) months later denying any relief.
Attorneys Jason Sammis and Leslie Sammis have extensive experience with high value crypto seizure cases at the federal level. We’ve been practicing civil asset forfeiture for more than ten years. We’ve helped clients get millions back in crypto currency seizures by taking a scholarly approach.
If you are an attorney pursuing a similar claim for your client, give us a call to discuss the case. Fill out the evaluation form for more information. Or call 813-250-0500.
The LuBian Hack and the U.S. Seizure of 127,271 Bitcoin
The LuBian Mining Pool hack in December 2020 involved the theft of 127,272 BTC, making it one of the largest cryptocurrency hacks in history. At the time, the stolen Bitcoin was valued at approximately $3.6 billion. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice seized 127,271 BTC—an almost identical amount—in connection with its criminal case against Chen Zhi and the Prince Group network.
Chinese cybersecurity authorities have publicly accused a state-level actor of hacking the LuBian Mining Pool and noted that the stolen Bitcoin later appeared in wallets now attributed to the U.S. government. Regardless of attribution, the undisputed fact is that the coins taken from LuBian are now in federal custody.
For former LuBian users, this raises an important question:
- If your Bitcoin was stolen from LuBian, do you have a legal claim to the seized 127,271 BTC?
In many cases, the answer is yes—but victims must be able to show evidence of their ownership in the LuBian pool.
Who May Be Eligible to File a Claim
The individuals and entities most likely to have valid claims include:
- Independent Miners Who Used LuBian in 2020 – Miners who directed their hash power to LuBian and were owed BTC payouts at the time of the hack.
- Mining Farms and Commercial Operations – Companies that relied on LuBian as a custodial mining pool service or payout aggregator.
- Cloud-Mining Customers – Individuals or businesses that deposited Bitcoin or earned mining rewards through LuBian-hosted cloud mining accounts.
- Wallet Holders Who Stored BTC With LuBian – Some users held balances directly with the pool, similar to exchange wallets.
If you fall into one of these categories and can show logs, payout addresses, wallet history, screenshots, or other proof of mining activity, you may be able to assert an ownership interest in the seized assets.
What Evidence is Needed to Establish a Claim
To determine whether your Bitcoin may be among the seized 127,271 BTC, we review:
- Historical LuBian payout records
- Mining pool logs
- Your BTC deposit or reward addresses
- Wallets used to receive payouts
- Screenshots or emails confirming LuBian participation
- Any transaction history from late 2020
- On-chain heuristics linking your output addresses to the LuBian cluster
The civil asset forfeiture attorneys at Sammis Law Firm use advanced blockchain-analysis tools and forensic tracing to track whether your BTC overlapped with the known LuBian-hack transaction paths.
Why the LuBian Victim Pool Is Hard to Identify
LuBian did not require extensive identity verification and served miners worldwide. As a result:
- Victims are spread across many countries
- Many have no idea the U.S. now controls the stolen coins
- Records may be incomplete or decentralized
- The U.S. government has not intention of publicly notified LuBian users
The problems with U.S. Forfeiture law creates situations where legitimate and innocent owners may never come forward unless they learn about the U.S. seizure.
At Sammis Law Firm, we help victims navigate these complex circumstances and assert their rights before the government disposes of the assets.
Your Rights Under U.S. Forfeiture Law
When the United States seizes property, innocent third-party owners may have statutory rights to file:
- Verified Claims of Ownership (which is what we typically recommend)
- Petitions for Remission or Restoration (under limited circumstances for those without legal standing for technical reasons)
- Ancillary Petitions in Criminal Forfeiture Cases
- Petitions for Return of Property
The key is timing and proof. Civil asset forfeiture proceedings in the United States are strict and time-sensitive—missing a deadline can permanently bar recovery. Many argue the entire system is set up to encourage claimants to miss a deadline.
How Sammis Law Firm Can Help
Our firm focuses on high-value cryptocurrency seizure, forfeiture, and return cases across the United States. We regularly work with blockchain forensic analysts to help foreign nationals and international clients living overseas.
We can help you file a verified claim for court action to join the litigation. We understand how the federal prosecutor (called an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA), represents the government in these complicated cases.
We represent clients in both civil forfeiture actions, and criminal forfeiture ancillary proceedings, depending on how the government classifies the seized BTC.
Our experience with major crypto-asset seizures makes us well positioned to represent LuBian hack victims who believe their Bitcoin is part of the seized 127,271 BTC.
If you believe you are a victim of the LuBian Mining Pool hack, or if you lost Bitcoin connected to Chen Zhi, Prince Holding Group, or related mining-pool operations, contact us for a confidential consultation.
We can evaluate:
- Whether your BTC overlaps with the LuBian hack
- Whether you may have a valid ownership claim
- What legal avenues exist for asserting your rights
- How to document and support your claim
- Deadlines and procedures involved in U.S. forfeiture proceedings
This article was last updated on November 13, 2025.
