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06 February 2026
Categories: Legal News , Crypto , Criminal , Technology , Cybercrime , Fraud
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NLJ this week: Victims chase crypto through the courts

241909
A £5bn Bitcoin haul has thrown victims’ rights into sharp focus. In this week's NLJ, Gary Pons, Sarah Wood and Barnaby Hone of 5 St Andrew’s Hill examine how UK law tackles cryptoassets under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002

The Zhang case, involving 61,000 Bitcoin linked to a massive investment fraud, highlights both the ease with which crypto can be moved anonymously and the legal complexity of getting it back.

Victims may intervene in confiscation, civil recovery or magistrates’ court forfeiture proceedings—each with different burdens and remedies. ‘What is the best forum for a victim to try to recover any stolen funds that can be traced into crypto?’ the authors ask. Their answer is pragmatic: early engagement with law enforcement and expert tracing can be faster and cheaper than traditional routes. The courts now face the challenge of turning digital traces into real-world justice.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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