Wang Moumou, a Chinese official, just received a life sentence for espionage. He sold secret documents to British intelligence, and his actions stemmed from heavy debts from failed crypto trading. In exchange for his services, he accepted cryptocurrency.

According to a report from the Ministry of National Security in Anping Province, Wang was convicted of sharing top-secret state secrets with foreign intelligence agencies. He reportedly made over 1 million yuan through virtual currency transactions. The People’s Court found him guilty of espionage and sentenced him to life in prison.

Interestingly, the report didn’t name a specific foreign government that recruited Wang. However, previous reports from June suggested that MI6, the British intelligence agency, had recruited a man named Wang Moumou. It’s likely these two cases refer to the same individual.

Wang’s case isn’t unique in the world of cryptocurrency. For instance, a North Korean hacker group has been known to use crypto to fund espionage activities. Just three years ago, a U.S. nuclear engineer tried to sell secrets for cryptocurrency. His supposed foreign handler turned out to be an FBI agent in disguise.

The Anping Ministry criticized Wang’s character and carelessness but only briefly mentioned his interest in cryptocurrency. Despite this incident, many in the global community still hope for China to lift its Bitcoin ban. It’s worth noting that state media chose not to demonize the crypto community in this situation.

In the past year, China has shown some positive signs toward cryptocurrencies. At the recent BRICS Summit, the country played a key role in creating a new international payment platform based on blockchain technology. Additionally, China is integrating its central bank digital currency, the digital yuan, into more local payment systems.

This espionage case may offer some insight into China’s stance on cryptocurrency. However, it doesn’t provide a complete picture of the crypto community. The focus of the state’s condemnation was primarily on Wang’s personal failures, not on the supposed negative influences of cryptocurrency.