Blog Post

Exposing the $15 Billion Prince Group Empire: How AnChain.ai Fights Crypto-Enabled Crime

January 27, 2026
The takedown of Chen Zhi and his $15 billion Prince Group empire is a landmark victory against cryptocurrency-enabled crime. This case, which involved massive financial fraud, human trafficking, and modern slavery across Southeast Asia, demonstrates the critical need for advanced blockchain intelligence.

At AnChain.ai, we are proud that our technology is a vital tool for law enforcement and financial institutions working to dismantle criminal networks and protect innocent victims.

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The Scale of the Criminal Network

Behind the staggering financial figures—including the $15 billion in Bitcoin seized, the largest forfeiture in US DOJ history is a devastating human cost. Chen Zhi's operation trapped trafficked foreign nationals in forced labor compounds, coercing them into running industrial-scale "pig butchering" scams that targeted victims globally.

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Key facts about the criminal network:

  • Human Trafficking: Operated at least 10 forced labor scam compounds in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
  • Financial Scope: Laundering at least $4 billion in illicit proceeds and linked to over 127,000 BTC.
  • Global Reach: Utilized shell company networks across Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UAE to obscure the money trail.

The AnChain.ai Difference: The Power of Blockchain Intelligence

Cryptocurrency's transparency, when coupled with sophisticated analysis, becomes a powerful weapon against criminals. AnChain.ai’s platform provides the critical tools to trace illicit funds and ensure compliance:

1. Real-Time Sanctions Screening

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Our sanctions screening tool provides immediate, severe risk assessments for sanctioned individuals like Chen Zhi (Risk Score: 100/100, sanctioned by US OFAC, UK HMT). This technology is crucial for financial institutions and exchanges to:

  • Automatically screen transactions and accounts against global sanctions lists.
  • Prevent sanctioned individuals from accessing the financial system and moving stolen funds.

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2. Cryptocurrency Address Risk Assessment & Tracing

Criminals employ complex routing, mining pool connections, and extended dormancy to evade detection. AnChain.ai’s multi-layered risk analysis and auto-trace functionality allow investigators to:

  • Identify connections to known illicit actors and high-risk services.
  • Map the complete journey of stolen funds—both upstream (where did it come from?) and downstream (where did it go?).
  • Group related addresses to reveal the full scope of criminal networks, essential in identifying the 29 sanctioned Bitcoin wallet addresses in the Chen Zhi case. You can see the Chen Zhi bitcoin wallets visualized on the AnChain.AI platform.
AnChain.AI platform viewable link:  https://ciso.anchainai.com/s/5qpg73lXsxU

3. Building Ironclad Cases and Supporting Asset Recovery

Our tools directly support justice and victim recovery by providing:

  • Court-Admissible Evidence: Detailed reports, visual network graphs, and timestamped audit trails for prosecution.
  • Rapid Asset Recovery: Real-time monitoring and alerts allow authorities to quickly identify and seize funds before they can be moved or mixed, as seen with the record $15 billion Bitcoin forfeiture.

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What Financial Institutions Can Do Now

The Chen Zhi case offers clear lessons for operating safely in the digital asset space:

  1. Implement Comprehensive Screening: Go beyond simple blacklist checks with real-time, risk-based address and customer screening.
  2. Understand Your Transaction Flows: Trace funds beyond immediate counterparties to identify high-risk services and money laundering patterns.
  3. Act Quickly on Red Flags: Use automated alerts to block suspicious transactions immediately, file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) promptly, and cooperate with law enforcement.

The fight against sophisticated criminal enterprises requires collaboration and cutting-edge technology. AnChain.ai is committed to making the crypto ecosystem both innovative and safe—an ecosystem where criminals can't hide, and victims can get justice.

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Join Us in Making Crypto Safer

‍To learn more about how AnChain.ai can protect your organization and support your compliance program, visit anchain.ai or contact our team for a demonstration.

For victims of cryptocurrency fraud: Report incidents to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov and contact local law enforcement. If you believe you've transacted with a sanctioned address, cease all transactions immediately and contact OFAC's Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation Division.

Chen Zhi bitcoin wallets visualized on AnChain.AI platform. 

Viewable link:  https://ciso.anchainai.com/s/5qpg73lXsxU

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