Share this article

U.S. Sanctions Funnull for Role in Pig Butchering Scam, Huione-Linked Crypto Wallets

The wallets received payments directly from Huione Pay, a subsidiary of Huione Group.

May 30, 2025, 9:33 a.m.
Huione website (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)
Huione website (Jesse Hamilton/CoinDesk)

What to know:

  • The U.S. Treasury's OFAC sanctioned Funnull Technology and two cryptocurrency wallets said to be linked to Huione Group for alleged involvement in scams.
  • Funnull allegedly facilitated a scam resulting in over $200 million in losses and sold IP addresses to cybercriminals.
  • The wallets received over $4 million from HuionePay, were labeled by FinCEN as a primary money laundering concern.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Funnull Technology, a provider of technology for websites allegedly involved in so-called pig butchering scams, and two cryptocurrency wallets said to be linked to Huione Group.

Philippines-based Funnull also directly facilitated a scam involving virtual currencies resulting in over $200 million in victim losses, OFAC said in a Thursday press release. In addition, the company is alleged to have acquired several IP addresses from mainstream cloud service providers to sell to cybercriminals. The sanctions also cover a Funnull administrator, Liu Lizhi.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

The majority of cryptocurrency investment scam websites reported to the FBI are linked to Funnull," Blockchain security firm Elliptic said in a blog post, which also identified the sanctioned wallets as being linked to Huione.

The wallets on Ethereum and Tron received funds directly from Huione Pay, part of Huione Group, Elliptic said. Huione was labeled as a "primary money laundering concern" by FinCEN earlier this month.

The two addresses received more than $4 million in total, according to Elliptic.

More For You

More For You

Recapping Consensus Hong Kong

Consensus Hong Kong 2026 exhibition floor packed with visitors.

Crypto's role in payments for AI, regulatory changes and the digital asset market dominated conversations on the ground.

What to know:

  • Speakers at CoinDesk's Consensus Hong Kong conference said crypto and stablecoins are likely to become the default payment tools for autonomous AI agents in an emerging "machine economy."
  • Market participants warned that bitcoin, which has already dropped nearly $30,000 in a month, may fall further, with $50,000 seen as the level to watch.
  • Hong Kong regulators are pressing ahead with crypto rules even as others wait to see how U.S. legislation develops.