TRUE CRIME • BITCOIN • HIGH COURT JUSTICE

THE BITCOIN ROBBERY

A True Story of the Hunt for Justice and What Really Matters

PAUL A.J. ARTS

More than a million dollars in bitcoin was stolen from my wallet.

The blockchain showed where it went. The evidence led to one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.

But tracing the money was only the beginning.

READ THE STORY

VIEW THE EVIDENCE

THE BITCOIN ROBBERY

COVER ART / PUBLISHING DETAILS — PLACEHOLDER

01 / THE STORY

ONE THEFT. FOUR COUNTRIES. YEARS OF PURSUIT.

In June 2021, more than a million dollars in cryptocurrency was stolen from my hardware wallet.

What followed was a trail across blockchain addresses, international exchanges, police investigations and the High Court in London. The money could be traced. The people and companies behind it proved far harder to reach.

This is the story of what happened after the theft, and what it takes to keep going when every institution seems to point towards another closed door.

02 / THE INVESTIGATION

A CASE MEASURED IN YEARS, NOT MOMENTS.

THE THEFT

More than a million dollars in cryptocurrency was stolen from my hardware wallet.

THE INVESTIGATION

Blockchain specialists traced the stolen funds across wallets, exchanges and national borders.

THE LAWSUIT

When the criminal investigation stalled, the focus shifted to holding Huobi accountable in the High Court.

THE JUDGMENT

In December 2024, the High Court ordered the return of assets valued at more than £1.95 million.

THE HUNT CONTINUES

The judgment was won. Recovery was not.

SELECTED DOCUMENTS & EVIDENCE

A selection of the key documents behind the investigation, the High Court case and the continuing effort to recover the stolen assets.

DOCUMENT 01

HIGH COURT JUDGMENT

The 20 December 2024 judgment ordering the return of assets valued at more than GBP 1.95 million.

DOCUMENT 02

CIPHERBLADE REPORT

The blockchain investigation that traced the stolen cryptocurrency to accounts held at Huobi

DOCUMENT 03

GUARDIA CIVIL REPORT

The tecchnical investigation that connected paarts of the transaction trail to exchaange accounts and identified individuals for further inquiry.

Paul A.J. Arts is a Dutch author, artist and former dentist living in southern Spain. His interest in bitcoin began more than a decade ago, long before cryptPaul A.J. Arts is a Dutch author, artist and former dentist living in southern Spain. He became involved with Bitcoin long before it entered the mainstream

In June 2021, more than one million dollars in bitcoin and other digital assets were stolen from his hardware wallet. What followed was an international investigation involving blockchain forensics, law enforcement agencies and a successful High Court lawsuit in England.

The Bitcoin Robbery is his first book and tells the true story behind one of the most remarkable cryptocurrency recovery cases to date.