The United Kingdom (UK) Treasury is reportedly looking to retain a majority of the 61,000 bitcoins ( BTC) seized from Chinese fraudsters in 2018, according to the Financial Times. The report adds that some officials have even explored whether the retained cryptocurrency could help plug the country’s fiscal gap.

Despite the attractive value of the seized crypto, other officials have warned Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves against factoring the bitcoin into her fiscal calculations. The primary concern is the likelihood of a long and protracted legal battle over the assets.

The Metropolitan Police recently confirmed that the seized bitcoins were acquired using funds from over 128,000 victims of an investment fraud scheme, masterminded by Zhimin Qian and her Malaysian assistant Seng Hok Ling.

Many of the fraud victims are Chinese nationals who are now actively seeking the return of their funds. Chinese law enforcement was instrumental in building the case against Qian, who pleaded guilty to charges of acquisition and possession of criminal property. In return for their cooperation, Chinese officials may expect the seized bitcoins to be used for reimbursing the victims.

Lawyers from the firm Fieldfisher were quoted by the Financial Times as saying that some victims are seeking not just the return of their initial investment, but also a premium to compensate for the time they were unable to access their funds—a period of up to a decade.

“The victims have been without their property for some 10 years now and are entitled to recover from the bitcoin frozen in this jurisdiction,” the lawyers stated.

The civil recovery case is slated for a hearing in early 2026, but a potential appeal could push the final resolution into 2027. Furthermore, some experts have cautioned that liquidating such a large quantity of bitcoin could potentially cause a significant drop in its market price.

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