An account that claims to be one of the victims of “Huang Tianwei’s escape” shared an update about Huang Tianwei, the founder of the defunct AEX crypto exchange (formerly known as Bitera).
The post claims that the controversial exchange founder has been granted bail and released to his family. Tianwei had been in custody after he was arrested at Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand in connection with a fraud case involving 200 million Thai Baht (approximately $5.7 million).
> June 12: AEX founder Huang Tianwei was arrested at Thailand’s Don Mueang International Airport.
>
> The Thai Immigration Bureau apprehended a 39-year-old Chinese man named HUANG TIANWEI.
>
> He was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the Chiang Rai District Court regarding serious fraud charges.
>
> The case originated on April 23, 2025, when two Chinese victims met with Huang in the Mae Sai area of Chiang Rai to discuss cryptocurrency investment collaboration.
Huang Tianwei is out on bail
According to a post on July 3, Huang Tianwei, founder of AEX (formerly Bit Era), was released on bail to his family in Thailand.
AEX, operational since 2013, provided services to long-term cryptocurrency users, leading to significant user funds accumulation.
Unfortunately, Tianwei allegedly refused to allow users to withdraw their funds following the exchange’s collapse.
To date, only three individuals have reportedly managed to recover their deposited funds; recoveries were mainly due to extreme measures taken against Tianwei.
For instance, one individual from a victim group, Rong Hua, raised an unspecified amount from fellow victims and located Huang’s ancestral grave, reportedly recovering about 80% of their funds through this act. The remaining 20% is to be paid over two years under confidentiality.
In another incident, victims resorted to kidnapping Huang and driving him on a highway until they recovered their funds.
Another significant AEX investor, Wu Jun, was also able to recover his investment.
Thus far, it seems that Tianwei has obstructed customers’ recovery attempts. Only those who directly confronted and pressured him could retrieve their funds.
Huang Tianwei’s arrest drew comparisons to FTX’s SBF
Huang Tianwei was apprehended at Don Mueang International Airport in Thailand on June 12. The 39-year-old Chinese national was apprehended by Thai Immigration Police.
Before his arrest, a warrant had been issued by the Chiang Rai District Court for his suspected involvement in serious fraud.
> AEX is China’s FTX.
> Huang Tianwei was arrested in Thailand for fraud. He could have used the 44 million investment to restart the exchange but chose to commit fraud instead.
>
> — Z宝宝 (@Z74144199) June 13, 2025
The case involved two Chinese victims who met with Huang in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai, to discuss cryptocurrency investment. Subsequently, they transferred crypto worth approximately 200 million baht (around $6 million) into a digital wallet controlled by Huang through two transactions.
Regrettably, Huang did not honor the agreement and cut off communication. Once they discovered the deceit, the victims promptly filed a report with the Mae Sai District Police on April 30, accusing Huang of fraud.
Following this report, the Immigration Bureau successfully detained Huang as he prepared to flee the country at 6 a.m. on June 12 at Bangkok’s international departure terminal.
Comments (0)