Singaporean Woman Slapped with 10 Years Jail Time for Defrauding Bybit of $4.2 Million
Bybit Scammer Gets 10 Years Jail Sentence
Ho Kai Xin, a 32-year-old from Singapore, has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for defrauding the crypto exchange Bybit out of $4.2 million (S$5.7 million) in cryptocurrency.
While working for Wechain Fintech, which processed payroll for Bybit, Ho manipulated Excel spreadsheets to falsely show USDT payments due to digital wallets under her control.
🚨 JUST IN: A Singaporean woman has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail for defrauding @Bybit_Official of over $4 million in crypto. Ho Kai Xin, 32 years old, exploited her role at Wechain Fintech, which processed payroll for Bybit, by manipulating Excel spreadsheets to… pic.twitter.com/1fBRpPEMyY
— The Crypto Fool (@the_cryptofool) February 20, 2025
Over three months in 2022, millions were illicitly transferred, which she spent on luxury goods, including Louis Vuitton handbags, sunglasses, and a Mercedes-Benz.
She also placed a $560,000 deposit on a multimillion-dollar penthouse.
Prosecutors revealed that Ho became bolder after her initial embezzlement went unnoticed, even linking her crypto addresses to other employees’ names.
Her fraudulent activities were uncovered in September 2022 when an executive noticed discrepancies in the payroll spreadsheet.
Despite a court order to freeze her assets, Ho continued to lavishly spend the stolen funds, further compounding her crimes.
Ho Awaiting Commencement of New Sentence When Current One Expires
In January, Ho was sentenced to six weeks in jail for contempt of court after violating a civil court order prohibiting her from using funds she had embezzled.
Despite the court's directive issued in October 2022, Ho spent nearly $840,000 between November and December of that year on a freehold penthouse and luxury Louis Vuitton items.
The contempt charge stemmed from Bybit Fintech’s civil lawsuit to recover the stolen cryptocurrency.
Ex-Bybit Payroll Employee Sentenced for $5.7M Crypto Theft A former employee of Wechain Fintech, Bybit’s payroll provider, has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for embezzling $5.7 million, mostly in USDT. Between May and August 2022, she falsified payroll records,… pic.twitter.com/FbujPy9Yfl
— Cryptol (@newscryptol) February 20, 2025
On 27 January, Ho was handed the short sentence, but this is just one part of her legal troubles.
She now faces an additional nine years and 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to over a dozen charges.
This sentence will begin after her current term expires.
Upon her arrest, Ho falsely claimed a fictitious cousin, "Jason Teo," was responsible for the illegal transfers, a story that took police over 140 hours to debunk.
Her defense attorney, James Gomez, requested a lighter sentence of eight years and eight months, citing her role as the mother of two young children.
He said during the trial:
"Her actions were a lapse in judgment, and she has since reflected deeply on the consequences they have had on her family, the victim and the justice system."
One of the finest tokens in crypto world right now is $BNB. Their performance over the years has been nothing but astonishing and this article is the proof. Let's talk about $BNB's recent growth.
BNB’s market cap exceeded $101 billion in Q4 2024, marking a 114% YoY rise and a 22% increase from the previous quarter, according to a report by crypto research firm Messari.
Messari noted that amid a booming crypto market driven by U.S. President Donald Trump's election, BNB hit a record high of $789 on Dec. 4, 2024.
That indicates they grew more than twice in a span of one year.
And for some recent time growth, according to Defillama, on chain activities of BSC chain has went up significantly.
$BNB is still going strong and this is just the start. #BNBChainMeme #BNB_Market_Update
🟡 Altcoin Collapse Likely Coming in Q3 of This Year, According to Analyst Benjamin Cowen – Here’s Why
Widely followed crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen says that altcoins are likely to collapse in the third quarter of 2025.
In a new strategy session, Cowen tells his 874,000 YouTube subscribers that judging by previous cycles, altcoins likely have another leg to move down sometime during Q3 of movement as their movements are largely coupled with the price action of Bitcoin (BTC).
He says that around November is when altcoins can mount their recovery.
“I think at some point this year, [altcoins are] probably going to break down… And maybe [they’ll] do that this summer and then we’ll see them sort of bounce back up later on this year, something like where they come down here and then maybe go up. Remember, [the] big move by alt / Bitcoin pairs in 2017 didn’t actually occur until November so you have to remember that.”
Cowen’s chart, which examines TOTAL3 – an index that tracks the total value of all digital assets excluding Bitcoin, Ethereum ( ETH ) and stablecoins – appears to suggest that it will fall below the 0.27 line when paired against BTC. TOTAL3/BTC is currently sitting at 0.47.
In previous cycles when TOTAL3/ BTC touched the 0.27 area, the altcoin market collapsed.
Cowen goes on to say that the health of the altcoin market is largely dependent on BTC, and potentially the yields in 10-year Treasuries which often reflect investors’ general risk appetite.
“If Bitcoin breaks up to a new cycle high, then I think Bitcoin would lead that move , so the altcoin markets’ fate in March is just dependent on Bitcoin. If Bitcoin goes up, they’ll go up too…
If Bitcoin breaks down, I think it would probably correspond to maybe a surge in the long end of the yield curve , and that is something we’ve been tracking. If you actually look at the 10-year yield, one of the things that actually caused Bitcoin to sort of consolidate [previously] and then eventually break down was a surge of the 10-year yield.”
#Altcoin #Altcoins
Bitcoin Sell-Side Risk Ratio Hits Low Levels
The Bitcoin (BTC) Sell-Side Risk Ratio has plummeted to historically low values, signaling a potential local bottom and an accumulation phase in the market. This key metric, which measures the incentive for long-term holders to sell, suggests a low sell-side risk environment, potentially paving the way for future price appreciation.
#Bitcoin $BTC Sell-Side Risk Ratio has dropped to low values, often indicating local bottoms, accumulation phases, and a low sell-side risk environment! pic.twitter.com/0QxIh4RQYe
— Ali (@ali_charts) February 23, 2025
According to Crypto Analyst Ali Martinez, The Sell-Side Risk Ratio is a valuable on-chain metric used to gauge market sentiment by analyzing the behavior of long-term Bitcoin holders. It measures the relative profitability of selling BTC against the historical average. When the ratio is low, it indicates reduced selling pressure, as holders have less incentive to realize profits. Conversely, high values suggest increased selling pressure due to attractive profit-taking opportunities.
According to the latest data from Glassnode, the Sell-Side Risk Ratio has dropped to one of its lowest points in recent history, as depicted in the accompanying chart. Historically, such low values have correlated with local bottoms and accumulation phases, where long-term investors are less likely to sell. This pattern has often preceded significant upward price movements.
Historical Context, Low Risk, Accumulation Outlook
The chart illustrates three previous instances where the Sell-Side Risk Ratio reached similarly low levels, marked by black arrows: November 2023: The ratio touched the red line, signaling a local bottom. This was followed by a strong rally as accumulation increased.September 2024: A similar dip occurred, leading to another price surge as long-term holders refrained from selling.February 2025: The current drop mirrors these historical patterns, suggesting a potential bottoming out and a favorable accumulation period.
The current low Sell-Side Risk Ratio reflects a low sell-side risk environment, indicating that long-term holders are not under pressure to sell at current prices. This trend aligns with the notion of an accumulation phase, where investors accumulate BTC at lower prices, potentially setting the stage for a future bullish cycle.
If historical patterns hold, Bitcoin could be entering a prolonged accumulation phase, with reduced selling pressure leading to price stability and eventual appreciation. This phase typically precedes a bull run as market confidence and buying momentum increase.
The Bitcoin Sell-Side Risk Ratio’s current low values provide a critical insight into market sentiment and potential future price movements. By indicating reduced selling pressure and increased accumulation, this metric suggests that Bitcoin may be nearing a local bottom, making it a key indicator to watch in the coming weeks.