{"investigation":{"slug":"coinw6","entity_name":"CoinW6","trust_score":2,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.88,"status":"published","content_type":"investigation","summary":"CoinW6 is a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform at the center of the SEC's first-ever enforcement action targeting a pig butchering (relationship investment) scam, filed September 17, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:24-cv-07924). According to the SEC's complaint, operators of CoinW6 posed as wealthy professionals on LinkedIn and Instagram, cultivated romantic relationships with victims over WhatsApp, then directed at least 11 investors to a fake trading interface that displayed fabricated returns, stealing approximately $2.2 million between July 2022 and December 2023. As of mid-2026, the case remains pending, with the SEC seeking service by publication after defendants failed to appear.","sections":[{"content":"CoinW6 is not a registered broker-dealer, exchange, or investment adviser. The SEC's complaint, filed September 17, 2024, alleges that CoinW6 and its operators offered and sold securities through an unregistered offering and violated the antifraud provisions of federal securities laws — specifically Sections 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC's complaint represents the agency's first-ever enforcement action expressly targeting a pig butchering scheme involving a fake crypto trading platform. A companion case against the related platform NanoBit was filed simultaneously.","heading":"Overview and Regulatory Status","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26111","name":"SEC.gov — CoinW6 Litigation Release LR-26111","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-134","name":"SEC Press Release 2024-134: SEC Charges Multiple Individuals and Entities in Relationship Investment Scams","type":"regulatory","credibility":1}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"According to the SEC's complaint, from approximately July 2022 to at least December 2023, participants in the CoinW6 scheme contacted prospective victims through LinkedIn and Instagram, posing as young, wealthy professionals. They then pursued romantic relationships with targets over WhatsApp to build trust before introducing them to CoinW6's purported trading platform. Victims were allegedly told they could earn daily returns of up to 3% through fabricated crypto asset products described as staking, mining, and yield farming — products the SEC states were entirely fictitious. The platform allegedly displayed false account balances and fabricated investment returns to create the appearance of profitability. According to the SEC, CoinW6.com and associated domains (6hsh.com, dmd567.com, bybit.cc, and cglobalw.com) were all controlled as part of the same fraudulent infrastructure. When victims attempted to withdraw funds, the SEC alleges operators demanded additional payments framed as taxes or fees, claimed assets were frozen due to law enforcement inquiries, or threatened to leak compromising private communications obtained during the cultivated romantic relationship — a form of blackmail.","heading":"Alleged Fraud Scheme","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf","name":"SEC CoinW6 Complaint (comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf)","type":"court_filing","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2024/09/17/sec-charges-3-individuals-5-companies-with-operating-pig-butchering-scams","name":"CoinDesk — SEC Charges 3 Individuals, 5 Companies With Operating Pig Butchering Scams","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://trmlabs.com/post/sec-files-charges-against-nanobit-and-coinw6-in-first-pig-butchering-related-action","name":"TRM Labs — SEC Files Charges Against NanoBit and CoinW6 in First Pig Butchering Related Action","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"The SEC's complaint alleges that CoinW6 defrauded at least 11 investors of approximately $2.2 million during the scheme's operating period of July 2022 to December 2023. Across both the CoinW6 and companion NanoBit cases, the SEC alleges combined losses of approximately $3.2 million. These figures represent minimum confirmed losses identified in the complaints and may not reflect total harm from the broader network of operators.","heading":"Victims and Financial Losses","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-134","name":"SEC Press Release 2024-134","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.theblock.co/post/316927/sec-charges-nanobit-and-coinw6-in-alleged-relationship-investment-scams-using-social-media","name":"The Block — SEC charges NanoBit and CoinW6 in alleged relationship investment scams","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"The SEC's complaint identifies CoinW6 as having operated under multiple domains: CoinW6.com, 6hsh.com, dmd567.com, bybit.cc, and cglobalw.com. The use of bybit.cc is notable as it mimics the name of the legitimate Bybit exchange — a tactic typical of pig butchering operations that use lookalike brand names to lend false credibility. According to reporting citing the SEC complaint, victim deposits in USDT were diverted through a tumbler, a cryptocurrency mixing service used to obscure the trail of funds.","heading":"Domains and Technical Infrastructure","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26111","name":"SEC CoinW6 Litigation Release LR-26111","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6","name":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Case Docket (2:24-cv-07924)","type":"court_filing","credibility":1}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"The SEC filed Case No. 2:24-cv-07924 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on September 17, 2024. The complaint names CoinW6 as the primary defendant, operating through the domains listed above. The case involves five entities and three individuals across both the CoinW6 and NanoBit actions combined, though specific individual defendants in the CoinW6 complaint have not been publicly identified by name in available reporting at time of publication. The SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. As of April 2026, the SEC withdrew an earlier motion for default judgment, with docket records showing a notice of deficiency regarding the default request. On July 14, 2026, the court granted the SEC's motion for service by publication — allowing service via the New York Times International Edition and a public webpage — suggesting defendants have not been formally served through standard means. The case remains active and unresolved as of the date of this report. In the companion NanoBit case (filed in the Eastern District of New York), a $5.5 million default judgment was entered on June 16, 2026, against four entities (NanoBit Limited, Sweet Karma, Zhao Deli, and Radiant Horizons) and two individuals (Jiajie Liu and Hua Zhao).","heading":"Legal Proceedings and Case Status","sources":[{"url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6","name":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Case Docket (2:24-cv-07924)","type":"court_filing","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26576","name":"SEC.gov — NanoBit Litigation Release LR-26576","type":"regulatory","credibility":1},{"url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/06/30/sec-wins-usd5-5-million-default-judgment-over-alleged-fake-crypto-platform-nanobit","name":"CoinDesk — SEC wins $5.5 million default judgment over alleged fake crypto platform NanoBit","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"Pig butchering scams — known in Chinese as sha zhu pan — are a category of confidence fraud that combines romance manipulation with fabricated investment returns. The terminology refers to the practice of metaphorically fattening a victim before slaughter. According to TRM Labs, scams and fraud accounted for approximately one-third of all crypto-related crime in 2023, totaling an estimated $12.5 billion in losses globally. The SEC's actions against CoinW6 and NanoBit represent a significant enforcement milestone as the first time the agency has explicitly charged participants in this fraud category. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies have separately warned about the scale of pig butchering operations, which are frequently linked to organized criminal networks operating out of Southeast Asia.","heading":"Pig Butchering Context","sources":[{"url":"https://trmlabs.com/post/sec-files-charges-against-nanobit-and-coinw6-in-first-pig-butchering-related-action","name":"TRM Labs — SEC Files Charges Against NanoBit and CoinW6 in First Pig Butchering Related Action","type":"research","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/sec-hits-pig-butchering-scammers-for-the-first-time-busts-two-fake-crypto-platforms/","name":"Finance Magnates — SEC Hits Pig Butchering Scammers for the First Time","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2022-07-01","event":"CoinW6 scheme allegedly begins, with operators contacting victims on LinkedIn and Instagram and developing romantic relationships over WhatsApp.","source":"SEC Complaint (comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf)","source_url":"https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf"},{"date":"2023-12-31","event":"CoinW6 scheme period ends, per the SEC complaint. At least 11 investors allegedly defrauded of approximately $2.2 million.","source":"SEC Press Release 2024-134","source_url":"https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-134"},{"date":"2024-09-17","event":"SEC files complaint against CoinW6 in U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Case No. 2:24-cv-07924), in the agency's first-ever enforcement action targeting a pig butchering scheme. A companion NanoBit action is filed simultaneously.","source":"SEC Litigation Release LR-26111","source_url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26111"},{"date":"2026-04-21","event":"SEC files request for clerk to enter default in the CoinW6 case.","source":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Docket","source_url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6"},{"date":"2026-04-22","event":"Court issues notice of deficiency regarding the SEC's default request in the CoinW6 case.","source":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Docket","source_url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6"},{"date":"2026-04-23","event":"SEC withdraws its motion for default judgment in the CoinW6 case.","source":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Docket","source_url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6"},{"date":"2026-06-16","event":"U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York enters a $5.5 million default judgment in the companion NanoBit case against four entities and two individuals.","source":"SEC Litigation Release LR-26576","source_url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26576"},{"date":"2026-07-14","event":"Court grants SEC's motion for service by publication in the CoinW6 case, permitting notice via the New York Times International Edition and a public webpage, indicating defendants have not been served through standard means.","source":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. CoinW6 Docket","source_url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-134","name":"SEC Press Release 2024-134: SEC Charges Multiple Individuals and Entities in Relationship Investment Scams","type":"regulatory","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20251117235152/https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-134","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2025-11-17T23:51:52+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26111","name":"SEC Litigation Release LR-26111 — CoinW6","type":"regulatory","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260306142052/https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26111","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-03-06T14:20:52+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf","name":"SEC CoinW6 Complaint PDF","type":"court_filing","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20260901182252/https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2024/comp-pr2024-134-coinw6.pdf","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-09-01T18:22:52+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26576","name":"SEC Litigation Release LR-26576 — NanoBit","type":"regulatory","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260831053608/https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26576","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-08-31T05:36:08+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/55111874/Securities_and_Exchange_Commission_v_CoinW6","name":"PACER Monitor — SEC v. 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