Female Crypto Mogul Survived Mining Crackdown and Market Plunge, but Paid a $60 Million Tuition to a U.S.-Style 'Pig-Butchering' Scam
An 80s-born Chinese entrepreneur, Fiona Lyu (also known as Lv Yongshuang), CEO of the mining firm Chengdu Valarhash Technology, was defrauded of over $9.4 million (approx. RMB 60 million) in the US, according to a Caixin report. Lyu's company once operated the 1THash and Bytepool mining pools, which collectively controlled about 9% of the global Bitcoin hash rate at their peak in early 2020.
The scam began in 2021 after China's crackdown on crypto mining forced Lyu to seek overseas relocation for her operations. She was introduced to Zubair Al Zubair, who posed as an "UAE royal family member" with connections to Middle Eastern capital and US local government resources. He and his brother, who impersonated a hedge fund manager, orchestrated a fake contract signing for a mining facility in Ohio, witnessed by local officials. Lyu transferred millions in contract payments. The brothers, both US citizens with fabricated backgrounds, later fraudulently sold 1,067 of her miners for $6.17 million. The scheme involved bribing a mayor's chief of staff for legitimacy. In May 2026, US courts sentenced Zubair to 24 years in prison, his brother to 23 years, and the official to 8 years.
Simultaneously, Lyu faced a separate legal battle in China. A subsidiary of listed company ST Zhongchang sued her firm, seeking refunds for a 2021 contract involving Bitcoin mining equipment. Chinese courts ruled the mining contract invalid and ordered a refund of nearly RMB 19.3 million. This dual blow marked a stark downturn for the once-prominent figure in the crypto mining industry.
Foresight News06/11 09:39