EtherFi CEO Response to "EtherFi Card Skimming" Allegations: Under Investigation, Affected Users Will Be Refunded

February 8 Yi Lihua, founder of Liquid Capital (formerly LD Capital), posted a note today after selling all his ETH. Key points from his message: “I first acknowledge market cycles still hold true. In this new phase—defined by strong US stocks, the coexistence of Decentralized Autonomous Treasuries (DATs) and ETFs, intact crypto community consensus, and the market’s susceptibility to manipulation—there’s a counterpoint: a crypto bear market is also the optimal time to position. We capitalized on the last bear market, and this holds the same potential. The future is bright; we still look forward to the industry’s next bull market and will keep focusing on **Building**. The pessimist is right—but the optimist wins.”

February 8 — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a congressional hearing on February 4 that neither the Treasury Department nor the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has the authority to “bail out” Bitcoin or require banks to hold it as part of their reserves. Yellen stressed that U.S. taxpayer dollars will not be invested in crypto assets. She noted that Bitcoin currently held by the U.S. government stems from law enforcement seizures — a clear distinction from funds managed on behalf of taxpayers.

On February 8th, on-chain analyst Ai Auntie (@ai_9684xtpa) reported that Trend Research—a subsidiary of Yihua—transferred its final 0.148 ETH to an exchange, concluding an 8-day sell-off. Over the period, the firm sold 658,168.58 ETH total, valued at $1.354 billion. With an average entry cost of ~$3,104.36 per ETH and an average selling price of $2,058.05, the round incurred a $688 million loss. Notably, Trend Research has surrendered all $315 million in profits from its prior cycle, resulting in a cumulative net loss of $373 million.

**February 8th** Du Jun, co-founder of ABCDE, retweeted a screenshot from Li Lin’s WeChat Moments to clarify recent claims. Li Lin stated in the post: “I am not the investor behind Yi Lihua’s Trend Research, nor am I linked to Garrett Jin—the agent of ‘BTC OG Whale Insider.’ I have never reduced my BTC or ETH holdings in this market cycle.” Du Jun added further context: - Li Lin’s family office, Avenir Group, remains BlackRock’s IBIT’s largest Asian holder. - U.S. SEC 13F reports are updated quarterly. - ~80% of the ETH held by the family office is pledged and held long-term. - To his knowledge, 95% of the funds are managed by the family office’s in-house team—no external institutions or individuals are entrusted with management.

On February 8, Scam Sniffer released its January 2026 Security Report, highlighting key crypto-related security incidents from the month. A January victim lost $12.25 million after copying an incorrect address from a transaction record—mirroring a $50 million loss suffered by another user in December 2025 for the same mistake. Additionally, signature phishing attacks spiked in January: 4,741 people fell victim, losing a combined $6.27 million—up 207% from December 2025.

On February 8, per Arkham data, at 10:49 UTC+8, Trend Research—an arm of EasyHua—transferred roughly 534 ETH to Binance, valued at approximately $1.11 million, completing a full liquidation. The on-chain address now holds just 0.165 ETH.