A new variation on crypto crime has occurred as three victims were robbed in a mall parking lot in Bangkok. They were preparing to exchange $100,000 in crypto assets when five assailants attacked them.
The criminals may have been involved in setting up the crypto deal, as happened in a similar incident in Phuket last November. Thai authorities are searching for the perpetrators.
Bangkok Crypto Deal Goes South
Crypto crimes are at an epidemic level right now, and that can manifest in some extremely bizarre ways. This recent story from Bangkok is a prime example, as crypto was never directly involved.
Instead, the victims pooled together 3.4 million baht (worth about $100,000) to do an in-person transaction, which evidently went south:
Police hunt 5 robbers after ฿3.4m crypto deal turns violent in Bangkok mall car park
In a shocking incident at Central Plaza Ladprao, thieves stole ฿3.4m during a planned cryptocurrency transaction, escaping in a Honda car. pic.twitter.com/PyLNKlnsk3
Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of other relevant details. Local authorities are looking for the attackers and have plenty of information about the getaway car. However, it may have been stolen before the theft took place.
Further, because this Bangkok theft didn’t involve crypto, there’s no way to monitor blockchain data. The perpetrators only need to launder a bag of cash, which might be incredibly easy.
Thailand has been home to another recent crypto theft, although this one took place far away from Bangkok. In November 2024, a Ukrainian national was robbed in Phuket, an island near the southernmost tip of the country.
Four men kidnapped and extorted him, demanding 250,000 in USDT. After they left, the victim escaped and informed the police.
One of these four robbers was a past associate of the victim, having previously bought USDT from him on several occasions. Hopefully, this 2024 incident may also provide a critical link to today’s Bangkok crypto theft.
Specifically, it seems very possible that the alleged crypto vendors and the robbers are in league or even the exact same people.
Crypto ATMs are not widespread in Thailand, so these Bangkok men needed some other intermediary to exchange cash for tokens.
Whoever offered to make the trade would, therefore, have more than enough information to stage a robbery. This theory seems more likely than the assailants randomly encountering men carrying a sack full of cash in public.
More Recent Crypto Crime Stories
BeInCrypto has been hard at work covering this crypto crime wave, including violent and nonviolent incidents:
North Korean hackers attack both sides of the hiring process, targeting crypto industry job seekers and posing as fake candidates. Pepe creator Matt Furie lost over $300,000 after hiring a hacker for an IT role, and Favrr lost $680,000 after appointing a North Korean infiltrator as its CTO.
Shockingly, low-quality crimes are seeing a lot of success in the US thanks to social engineering. Multiple criminals defrauded users out of millions, yet proved incredibly easy for law enforcement to track. One thief stole $4 million and lost almost all of it to a gambling addiction.
Despite all these crimes, authorities are on the hunt, as cooperation from 15 separate nations brought down an international fraud ring. The group stole $540 million from victims around the globe.
In 2025, AI agents became the newest obsession for crypto market participants. They were integrated into decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, infrastructure, and even DAO governance, touted as the next evolution of Web3 intelligence.
With this in mind, BeInCrypto contacted OORT CEO Dr. Max Li for his perspective on whether these autonomous, machine-learning-driven software acting on behalf of users could reshape crypto. Li had some interesting insights, but warned that real-world adoption, security, and regulation are the biggest hurdles ahead.
The AI Agent Gold Rush: Disruption or Distraction?
Data from the AI Agents Directory indicates an average monthly increase of 33% in the number of AI agents.
However, despite the growing interest, Web3-based artificial intelligence solutions still account for a minimal fraction (3%) of the overall AI agent ecosystem.
According to Dr. Max Li, founder and CEO of decentralized cloud network OORT, the space is moving faster than its infrastructure can handle, pointing to models like ElizaOS (formerly ai16z).
Yet, in his opinion, the broader playing field is not ready. He says the core infrastructure, from decentralized storage to tokenized agent marketplaces, is still under construction.
The Real Bottleneck? Security, Not Speed
While scalability is often seen as crypto’s weakness, Max Li says security and compliance are bigger threats. This is especially true when tokenizing AI outputs like computing, decision-making, or real-time data.
Dr. Li added that tokenized AI raises difficult questions. Who owns the data that the agents generate? How can decentralized systems comply with global data laws like GDPR? And what happens when AI agents interact with sensitive personal or financial information on-chain?
“These may already be more significant barriers than scalability,” Dr. Li warned.
The OORT executive emphasized that without clear custodianship or compliance frameworks, the risks extend beyond crypto to regulators, investors, and end-users.
Enterprise Adoption Isn’t Coming Anytime Soon
The industry often claims AI agents will bring real-world industries on-chain. However, Dr. Li says it is still a fantasy, particularly in the public blockchain.
He explained that while enterprises like Walmart could benefit from AI for internal operations, there is little incentive to tokenize those agents. Traditional firms want efficiency and control, not decentralized tokens wrapped around their core systems.
“Most enterprises would prefer to keep that data within their own secured servers rather than exposing it on a public, decentralized network,” he said.
While private chains may offer a bridge, Max Li says the idea of tokenized agents powering real-world logistics or finance is, for now, a crypto-native dream.
A Market Fueled by Hype
AI agent tokens have exploded in 2025. Riding the momentum of both AI and crypto, they have attracted massive capital inflows. However, Dr. Li parallels the dot-com bubble, concluding that while innovation is real, the market is overheated.
Based on this, he does not believe the current rally is sustainable: “It’s fair to say there’s a bubble forming here.”
This sentiment echoes Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who recently warned that most AI token projects launch too early.
“Too many AI agent developers focus too much on their token and not enough on the agent’s usefulness. I recommend making a really good agent first,” wrote CZ in a post.
Zhao argued that only a tiny fraction of AI agents, say 0.05%, actually need tokens at this stage. Similarly, Hitesh Malviya, an analyst and popular figure on X, recently echoed this sentiment in a post.
“If you look outside the crypto echo chamber, you’ll find that we do have a solid ecosystem of free and better AI agents—and they don’t have tokens, nor might they ever need one. So, what we’re trading in the name of agents is nothing but memes—a value we created out of thin air, like we always do,” Hitesh observed.
Regulatory Turbulence Ahead
Perhaps the most underappreciated risk in the AI agent boom is regulation. The intersection of open AI systems, tokenized data, and borderless blockchains is a minefield for compliance.
Dr. Li warned of contradictions yet to be resolved: How can decentralized AI be transparent and private? Who is liable when agents act autonomously but cause financial losses?
“In the short term, regulatory intervention will likely create additional hurdles for innovation,” he concluded.
This is especially true where there is no global consensus. Until jurisdictions align on KYC (know-your-customer), AML (anti-money laundering) laws, and data governance, institutional adoption will remain cautious, if not frozen.
While the rise of AI agents is real, their integration into tokenized crypto ecosystems is still a high-risk, high-ambiguity frontier. Infrastructure remains fragile. Legal frameworks are missing, and real-world adoption is still speculative at best.
Dr. Max Li’s view is clear: crypto must shift its focus from hype to functionality—from token-first to agent-first design.
Only then will the next leap in AI-powered decentralization become more than just a market cycle.
Pi Network plunged by double digits over the past week, even as the broader crypto market shows signs of recovery. The altcoin’s market cap dropped to $4.1 billion, as PI continues to see intense selling pressure.
With bearish pressure intensifying, the token could soon revisit its all-time low near $0.40.
PI Risks Deeper Drop
Despite some strength across the broader market, investor sentiment toward PI remains weak, with technical indicators suggesting that its price decline could continue.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a key momentum indicator that tracks an asset’s overbought and oversold market conditions, continues to drop, indicating falling demand and growing selling pressure.
At press time, PI’s RSI is in a downtrend at 39.78. This RSI reading indicates weakening momentum and positions the token just above oversold territory, suggesting continued selling pressure could trigger further losses.
Furthermore, Pi Network’s on-balance volume (OBV) has also decreased, pointing to declining accumulation and reduced buyer interest. This indicator is at -1.26 billion at press time, falling by 15% in the past week.
The OBV measures buying and selling pressure by tracking volume flow relative to price movements. When OBV falls like this, more volume is tied to selling than buying. This indicates weakening investor confidence and potential for further price declines.
PI Token Risks Retesting All-Time Low
PI’s plummeting Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) supports the bearish outlook above. At press time, this indicator, which tracks how money flows into and out of an asset, is below the zero line at -0.15.
This negative reading reflects the strength of the sell-side pressure in the PI spot markets. If this trend persists, PI could revisit its all-time low of $0.40.
China’s recent directive for its state-owned banks to decrease reliance on the US dollar has amplified a growing trend among countries seeking alternatives to the dominant reserve assets. In some instances, Bitcoin has emerged as a viable competitor.
BeInCrypto spoke with experts from VanEck, CoinGecko, Gate.io, HashKey Research, and Humanity Protocol to understand Bitcoin’s rise as an alternative to the US dollar and its potential for greater influence in global geopolitics.
The Push for De-Dollarization
Since the 2008 global financial crisis, China has gradually reduced its reliance on the US dollar. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has now instructed state-owned banks to reduce dollar purchases amid the heightened trade war with US President Donald Trump.
China is among many nations seeking to lessen its dependence on the dollar. Russia, like its southern neighbor, has received an increasing number of Western sanctions– especially following its invasion of Ukraine.
Furthermore, Rosneft, a major Russian commodities producer, has issued RMB-denominated bonds, indicating a shift towards RBM, the Chinese currency, and a move away from Western currencies due to sanctions.
This global shift away from predominant reserve currencies is not limited to countries affected by Western sanctions. Aiming to increase the Rupee’s international use, India has secured agreements for oil purchases in Indian Rupee (INR) and trade with Malaysia in INR.
The country has also pursued creating a local currency settlement system with nine other central banks.
As more nations consider alternatives to the US dollar’s dominance, Bitcoin has emerged as a functional monetary tool that can serve as an alternative reserve asset.
Why Nations Are Turning to Bitcoin for Trade Independence
Interest in using cryptocurrency for purposes beyond international trade has also grown. In a notable development, China and Russia have reportedly settled some energy transactions using Bitcoin and other digital assets.
“Sovereign adoption of Bitcoin is accelerating this year as demand grows for neutral payments rails that can circumvent USD sanctions,” Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, told BeInCrypto.
Two weeks ago, France’s Minister of Digital Affairs proposed using the surplus production of EDF, the country’s state-owned energy giant, to mine Bitcoin.
Last week, Pakistan announced similar plans to allocate part of its surplus electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers.
Meanwhile, on April 10, New Hampshire’s House passed HB302, a Bitcoin reserve bill, by a 192-179 vote, sending it to the Senate. This development makes New Hampshire the fourth state, after Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma, to have such a bill pass a legislative chamber.
If HB302 is approved by the Senate and signed into law, the state treasurer could invest up to 10% of the general fund and other authorized funds in precious metals and specific digital assets like Bitcoin.
According to industry experts, this is only the beginning.
VanEck Predicts Bitcoin to Become a Future Reserve Asset
Sigel predicts Bitcoin will become a key medium of exchange by 2025 and, ultimately, one of the world’s reserve currencies.
His forecasts suggest Bitcoin could settle 10% of global international trade and 5% of global domestic trade. This scenario would lead to central banks holding 2.5% of their assets in BTC.
According to him, China’s recent de-dollarization will prompt other nations to follow suit and lessen their reliance on the US dollar.
“China’s de-dollarization efforts are already having second- and third-order effects that create opportunities for alternative assets like Bitcoin. When the world’s second-largest economy actively reduces its exposure to US Treasuries and promotes cross-border trade in yuan or through mechanisms like the mBridge project, it signals to other nations—especially those with strained ties to the West—that the dollar is no longer the only game in town,” Sigel said.
For Zhong Yang Chan, Head of Research at CoinGecko, these efforts could prove catastrophic for the United States’ dominance.
“Broader de-dollarization efforts by China, or other major economies, will threaten the status of the dollar’s global reserve currency status. This could have [a] profound impact on the US and its economy, as this would lead to nations reducing their holdings of US treasuries, which the US relies on to finance its national debt,” he told BeInCrypto.
However, the strength of the US dollar and other dominant currencies has already shown signs of weakening.
A General Wave of Currency Decline
Sigel’s research shows that the four strongest global currencies—the US dollar, Japanese yen, British pound, and European euro—have lost value over time, particularly in cross-border payments.
The decline of these currencies creates a void where Bitcoin can gain traction as a key alternative for international trade settlements.
“This shift isn’t purely about promoting the yuan. It’s also about minimizing vulnerability to US sanctions and the politicization of payment rails like SWIFT. That opens the door for neutral, non-sovereign assets—especially those that are digitally native, decentralized, and liquid,” Sigel added.
This lack of national allegiance also sets Bitcoin apart from traditional currencies.
Bitcoin’s Appeal: A Non-Sovereign Alternative
Unlike fiat money or central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), Bitcoin doesn’t respond to any one nation, which makes it appealing to some countries.
For Terence Kwok, CEO and Founder of Humanity Protocol, recent geopolitical tensions have heightened this belief.
For these same reasons, experts don’t expect Bitcoin to replace fiat currencies fully but rather provide a vital alternative for certain cases.
A Replacement or an Alternative?
While Bitcoin offers several advantages over traditional currencies, Gate.io’s Kevin Lee doesn’t foresee its eventual adoption causing a complete overhaul of the currency reserve system.
Recent data confirms this. The number of Bitcoin transactions has fallen significantly since the last quarter of 2024. Bitcoin registered over 610,684 transactions in November, but that number dropped to 376,369 in April, according to Glassnode data.
The number of Bitcoin active addresses paints a similar picture. In December, the network had nearly 891,623 addresses. Today, that number stands at 609,614.
Bitcoin number of active addresses. Source: Glassnode.
This decline suggests reduced demand for its blockchain in terms of transactions, usage, and adoption, meaning fewer people are actively using it for transfers, business, or Bitcoin-based applications.
Meanwhile, the Bitcoin network must also ensure its infrastructure is efficient enough to meet global demand.
Can Bitcoin Scale for Global Use?
In 2018, Lightning Labs launched the Lightning Network to reduce the cost and time required for cryptocurrency transactions. Currently, the Bitcoin network can only handle around seven transactions per second, while Visa, for example, handles around 65,000.
“If expansion solutions (such as the Lightning Network) fail to become popular, Bitcoin’s ability to process only about 7 transactions per second will be difficult to support global demand. At the same time, as Bitcoin block rewards are gradually halved, the decline in miners’ income may threaten the long-term security of the network,” Guo, Director of HashKey Research explained.
While the confluence of geopolitical shifts and Bitcoin’s inherent characteristics undeniably create a space for its increased adoption as an alternative to the US dollar and even a potential reserve asset, significant hurdles remain.
Achieving mainstream Bitcoin adoption hinges on overcoming scalability, volatility, regulatory hurdles, stablecoin competition, and ensuring network security.
The unfolding panorama suggests Bitcoin will carve out an important role in the global financial system, though a complete overhaul of established norms seems unlikely in the immediate future.
