Taiwan jails CoinThink fraud leader for 22 years

• A Taiwan court has sentenced the leader of the CoinThink investment fraud to 22 years in prison.
• The scheme allegedly defrauded 1,539 victims through investments linked to Tether (CRYPTO:USDT).
• Authorities said the operation caused significant financial losses and relied on false investment promises.

A Taiwan court has sentenced the alleged leader of the CoinThink cryptocurrency investment fraud to 22 years in prison after finding him guilty of running a large-scale scam involving Tether (CRYPTO:USDT).

Prosecutors said the operation targeted 1,539 investors by promising attractive returns before collecting funds through USDT and other digital asset transactions.

The court found that the scheme relied on misleading investment claims rather than legitimate cryptocurrency trading, resulting in substantial financial losses for victims.

Taiwanese authorities have increased enforcement against digital asset fraud in recent years as cryptocurrency adoption has grown across the region.

Investment scams remain one of the most common forms of cryptocurrency-related crime, with fraudsters frequently using stablecoins such as USDT because transactions can be completed quickly across borders.

The ruling highlights Taiwan's continued efforts to prosecute large-scale cryptocurrency fraud, while reinforcing that digital assets can be misused for criminal activity despite their legitimate applications.