韓國檢察官突襲了加密貨幣交易所Bithumb的總部

韓國檢察官於3月19日至20日突襲了加密貨幣交易所Bithumb的總部，這是對涉嫌濫用公司資金的調查的一部分。

Korean prosecutors searched the headquarters of cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of corporate funds.

韓國檢察官搜查了加密貨幣交易所Bithumb的總部，這是對涉嫌濫用公司資金的調查的一部分。

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on March 19-20 raided Bithumb’s offices in Yeoksam-dong. Prosecutors are looking into claims that the company provided a 3 billion won ($2.3 million) lease deposit to its former CEO.

首爾南部地區檢察官辦公室於3月19日至20日在Yeoksam-dong襲擊了Bithumb的辦公室。檢察官正在調查該公司向其前首席執行官提供了30億韓元（230萬美元）的租賃押金。

Authorities suspect that Kim Dae-sik, Bithumb’s former CEO and current advisor, used a portion of these funds to buy a personal apartment in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong district. The case has brought fresh scrutiny to the exchange’s financial practices.

當局懷疑Bithumb的前首席執行官兼現任顧問Kim Dae-Sik使用其中的一部分資金在首爾的Seongsu-Dong區購買了個人公寓。此案對交易所的財務做法進行了新的審查。

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), South Korea’s financial regulator, first examined the case. They later transferred their findings to prosecutors for further investigation.

韓國的金融監管機構金融監管服務（FSS）首先檢查了此案。後來，他們將調查結果轉移給檢察官進行進一步調查。

In an interview with The Chosun Daily, a Bithumb spokesperson acknowledged some of the allegations. The representative confirmed that Kim took a loan from an external lender after the FSS investigation.

Bithumb發言人在接受Chosun Daily的採訪時承認了一些指控。代表證實，金正日在FSS調查後從外部貸方貸款。

The spokesperson added that Kim has since repaid the funds spent on the apartment purchase in full. Despite this repayment, prosecutors are reviewing whether the original transaction broke financial regulations or corporate governance rules.

發言人補充說，金正日此後償還了全額購買在公寓購買的資金。儘管償還了這一款項，但檢察官仍在審查原始交易是否違反了財務法規或公司治理規則。

Bithumb IPO Plans

Bithumb IPO計劃

The raid comes at a time when Bithumb is working toward a long-awaited initial public offering (IPO). CEO Lee Jae-won recently reaffirmed the company’s plan to list on the stock market in 2025.

突襲是在Bithumb致力於期待已久的首次公開募股（IPO）的時候。首席執行官Lee Jae-Won最近重申了該公司在2025年在股票市場上市的計劃。

As part of these preparations, Bithumb has made structural changes. These changes aim to reduce legal risks tied to key shareholders.

作為這些準備工作的一部分，Bithumb進行了結構性改變。這些變化旨在減少與主要股東相關的法律風險。

Bithumb’s IPO plans date back to 2020 when local media first reported the exchange was preparing for a stock market launch. However, the company faced many obstacles that prevented it from moving forward.

Bithumb的IPO計劃可以追溯到2020年，當時當地媒體首次報告說交易所正在為股票市場推出做準備。但是，該公司面臨許多阻止其前進的障礙。

In 2023, the company chose an underwriter for its IPO plans. This renewed talk that Bithumb was working toward going public.

2023年，該公司為其IPO計劃選擇了承銷商。這個重新講話，即Bithumb正在努力公開。

In 2024, Bithumb Korea set up a non-exchange business to speed up its debut on the stock market. However, this news came alongside reports of a 57% loss in annual revenue for the exchange operator in 2023.

2024年，Bithumb韓國建立了非交換業務，以加快其在股市上的首次亮相。但是，這一消息與報告說，該新聞報導說，2023年，交易所運營商的年收入損失了57％。

The investigation has raised concerns about broader governance and financial practices within Bithumb. The exchange has faced repeated legal and regulatory scrutiny in recent years.

調查引起了人們對Bithumb內部更廣泛的治理和財務實踐的擔憂。近年來，該交易所面臨一再的法律和監管審查。

Adding to Bithumb’s troubles are separate allegations about token listing practices. Reports claim that both Bithumb and rival exchange Upbit facilitated token listings through intermediaries who charged projects large fees.

增加了Bithumb的麻煩是有關令牌清單實踐的單獨指控。報告稱，Bithumb和競爭對手交易所UPBIT都通過向項目收取大量費用的中介機構提供了促進令牌清單。

Researcher Wu Blockchain reported that some projects paid between $2 million and $10 million to secure listings on the exchanges. The allegations suggest that certain intermediaries had ties to Upbit shareholders and market makers.

研究人員WU區塊鏈報告說，一些項目支付了200萬至1000萬美元，以確保交易所上市。這些指控表明，某些中介機構與UPBIT股東和做市商有聯繫。

According to the report, these intermediary fees sometimes ranged from 3% to 5% of entire token supplies. This has raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the listing process.

根據該報告，這些中介費用有時為3％至5％。這引發了有關上市過程的公平性和透明度的疑問。

Upbit has denied these claims. The exchange has demanded that Wu Blockchain provide a list of projects that allegedly paid brokerage fees and asked for evidence to support the accusations.

Upbit否認了這些主張。該交易所要求WU區塊鏈提供據稱支付經紀費的項目清單，並要求提供證據以支持指控。

In 2021, Bithumb faced another legal challenge when its former board of directors chairman, Lee Jeong-hoon, was indicted on alleged fraud charges. South Korea’s Supreme Court later acquitted the Bithumb executive.

2021年，Bithumb面臨著另一個法律挑戰，當時其前董事會主席Lee Jeong-Hoon因涉嫌欺詐指控被起訴。韓國最高法院後來無罪釋放。

With this legal hurdle cleared, the exchange is expected to accelerate its IPO plans for 2025. The outcome of the current investigation may impact these plans.

隨著這一法律障礙，預計該交換將加速其2025年的IPO計劃。當前調查的結果可能會影響這些計劃。