Till Death or Seed Phrase: Woman Accused of Spying on Husband, Stealing $172 Million in Bitcoin

A legal dispute is underway in the UK High Court where Ping Fai Yuen claims his estranged wife, Fun Yung Li, covertly recorded him to steal the seed phrase for his 2,323 Bitcoin, valued at over $172 million in 2023. The funds were transferred from his Trezor hardware wallet in August 2023 and split across 71 addresses. Yuen installed audio equipment after his daughter warned him, capturing recordings where Li allegedly admitted to transferring the Bitcoin. Following the discovery, Yuen assaulted Li and was arrested. Although police investigated and seized crypto wallets, they took no further action. Justice Cotter found Yuen's evidence, including audio transcripts and his daughter's warning, showed a strong likelihood of success, citing Occam's razor. The case is significant as it tests how English courts handle digital asset ownership and recovery claims.

(Source：Bitcoin Magazine)