Co-founder of Rooch Network, a Bitcoin app, Haichao Zhu, was mugged at gunpoint shortly upon arrival in Bangkok, Thailand while waiting for the Ethereum Devcon 2024 conference. On a thread in X, formerly known as Twitter, Zhu detailed the episode as a warning to others attending Devcon.
The incident occurred at night, and Zhu was alone because he had arrived late. His alleged attackers approached him and wrestled him for his phone, and he deserves a scratch on the hand for that.
Despite no injuries, Zhu said he was dissatisfied with the local police’s reaction and stayed in one of the police stations throughout the night. On the message board for the attendees, Zhu said, “Don’t walk alone at night. Bangkok is still a safe and fun city, just like all the other places worldwide. You have to be careful once night falls.”
Rooch Network Co-Founder Warns Devcon Attendees After Bangkok Robbery
Jole Star, Rooch Network’s other co-founder, replied in a different thread, stating he would contact nearby companies in the area of the attack to request footage. He added that finding the faces of the culprits may be difficult. Star also discouraged attendees from being alone at night and urged those walking to keep their phones hidden to lessen the chances of an attack.
The Ethereum Devcon will start on November 12 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. It will feature some of the charismatic leaders in decentralized technology, such as Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, Aya Miyaguchi, executive director of the Ethereum Foundation, and former secretary of Portugal Bruno Maçães.
The case represents one of the many recent robberies against people connected to the crypto industry. In July, Rishant Kumar of Kilt Protocol, currently the head of growth, was also attacked during the Ethereum Community Conference held in Brussels. He said that “thugs started targeting crypto people” and shared his story of being attacked.
Moreover, several cases have revealed the cryptocurrency market’s weak points. In August of this year, eleven Israeli tourists were attacked, and $700 000 in Bitcoin was stolen from them, in another attack in June a 29- year-old man was given almost Bitcoin 3 transfers before being killed.
Zhu’s message before the Ethereum Devcon was helpful as a warning to participants and cryptocurrency enthusiasts, especially when they were in foreign countries or cities.