An Australian human rights activist and critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) alleges that the CCP has put a Bitcoin bounty on his family’s heads. Emails obtained by Decrypt reportedly show “DP Bounty Hunters” offering a $50,000 reward for the “termination” of Drew Pavlou and family members, inviting recipients to share their Bitcoin address. Pavlou claims the Chinese government is behind the emails, stating that it represents a new escalation in their attempts to terrorize people outside of China who protest against the regime.
Some experts believe that using Bitcoin to pay for a bounty would add a level of plausible deniability, making it difficult to identify the owner of a wallet. Max Galka, CEO, and founder of blockchain intelligence platform Elementus, mentions that crypto is frequently used for illegal activity due to its “borderless” nature and avoidance of barriers found in traditional payment systems.
Crypto mixers further complicate the matter, as they enable transactions to be shrouded, disguising the original source. They pool funds from various users and send the equivalent amount of “mixed” coins to a recipient address, masking the connection between sender and recipient.
Government entities have used crypto for unlawful purposes before. For instance, North Korea has orchestrated hacks and ransomware attacks worth hundreds of millions of dollars through a proxy, Lazarus Group. Other countries, including Venezuela and Iran, allegedly used crypto to evade sanctions. However, most of these countries have avoided direct consequences for using crypto unlawfully.
Although Pavlou believes the bounty emails were meant to instill fear in his family rather than represent a serious offer, he admits that the ordeal has caused him significant distress. “I’ve been dealing with nightmares and can’t sleep. Years of threats have really started to damage my health,” he said.
In conclusion, this case sheds light on the possible use of cryptocurrency in state-sponsored intimidation and illegal activities. However, at this point, it remains uncertain whether the Chinese government or a lone CCP supporter is behind the alleged Bitcoin bounty.
Source: Decrypt
