- The core technical team behind the Filecoin-based STFIL protocol is under investigation by Chinese authorities.
- FIL tokens on the STFIL platform were mysteriously transferred to an unknown external address currently holding around $22 million worth of FIL.
- There have been reports of abnormal and unscheduled upgrades to the STFIL protocol in the past couple of days.
The core technical team behind the Filecoin-based STFIL protocol said they are under investigation by Chinese authorities. This raises concerns over recent unexplained token transfers and platform upgrades.
Mysterious Token Transfers and Upgrades
The news came in a public post by STFIL Protocol on X stating that the STFIL core technical team is allegedly under investigation by local Chinese police. Lawyers have been hired to provide legal assistance.
Last week, while the core team was detained, FIL tokens on the STFIL platform were mysteriously transferred to an external address. The funds, worth about $22 million, were tracked to an address made public by the STFIL Protocol. There have also been reports of unscheduled platform upgrades in recent days.
In response, the STFIL team is seeking help to track the unknown address and safeguard stakeholder interests.
Previous Pyramid Scheme Case
In August last year, a Chinese court started proceedings against a Filecoin mining company and executives accused of organizing an $833 million pyramid scheme.
According to prosecutors, the defendants lured customers by claiming they could mine FIL coins if they met qualifications like paying fees to purchase or lease mining equipment.
STFIL, a liquid staking protocol on Filecoin, enables staking rewards while retaining DeFi use. Its total value locked stands at around $40 million after a 60% decrease since early April.
Conclusion
The investigation raises concerns over the security of crypto staking platforms. It remains to be seen how the situation unfolds and whether stakeholder interests can be protected. The case highlights the risks associated with centralized governance models in the decentralized world of crypto.