US DOJ seizes wallets and restrains $52 million linked to Xinbi Guarantee marketplace

U.S. authorities have taken significant enforcement action against Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese‑language escrow‑based marketplace that connects scam operators with vendors offering money‑laundering, website‑building and recruitment services.

Crypto assets restrained

The DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force seized two wallets that together contained roughly $12 million in cryptocurrency. In addition, restraints were sought against 47 other wallets believed to be used for laundering proceeds through Xinbi and its vendor network. Combined, the action puts more than $52 million in crypto beyond the reach of the marketplace.

Role of stablecoins

Tether assisted investigators, having previously frozen $39.3 million in USDT across ten Tron addresses linked to Xinbi.

Telegram channels and infrastructure

A U.S. District Court order authorized the seizure of Telegram channels used by Xinbi vendors to advertise money‑laundering services, scam websites and recruitment for Southeast Asian scam compounds. Earlier in 2025, Telegram had removed thousands of related channels, but the network resurfaced under new names before moving parts of its operation to alternative messaging platforms.

Treasury sanctions

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Xinbi Guarantee as a significant transnational criminal organization and sanctioned two technology firms that supported its operations:

• SafeW Technology (Singapore) – developer of the encrypted messaging app SafeW, adopted by Xinbi in mid‑2025.
• Anwen Technology (Cambodia) – creator of XinbiPay (also known as NewPay), a cryptocurrency payment and wallet application.

OFAC also sanctioned Xinbi itself, citing its role in facilitating cybercrime, money‑laundering and connections to North Korean hackers and other sanctioned entities.

Scale of Xinbi activity

Treasury data estimate that Xinbi processed more than $24 billion in digital‑asset and fiat transactions since its emergence around 2022, with later blockchain analysis raising the figure to roughly $17.9 billion for activity recorded since mid‑2025.

Broader enforcement context

The DOJ’s Strike Force, launched in late 2025, has restrained about $938 million linked to scam‑related money laundering worldwide and is expanding operations beyond Southeast Asia, including recent assistance to authorities in Madagascar.