Bitcoin Robbery at Gunpoint in England

Two Bitcoin traders were robbed at gunpoint at their home in rural England when armed criminals forced them to carry out cryptocurrency transfers, the Telegraph reported.

Danny Aston and his girlfriend Amy Jay, who jointly run a cryptocurrency trading company called Aston Digital Currencies Ltd, were forced to digitally transfer an unspecified amount of Bitcoin by four men who broke into their house. The incident took place on January 22, but was first reported almost a week later.

The Mail on Sunday reported that the men tied up a woman and kept a baby outside in a pram while forcing Mr Aston to transfer the Bitcoin.

According to The Times newspaper, Aston has carried out more than 100,000 cryptocurrency trades with more than 16,300 different accounts, and offers trading tips and analysis online. The publication also reported that some of his clients referred to him by his real name, which may have helped thieves identify him.

A police spokesman said, “The investigation is in its early stages; however, initial enquiries suggest this may be a targeted incident.”

The anonymity of Bitcoin will make it almost impossible to trace, but Guy Shone, chief executive of Explain The Market, said: “[…] depending on how much [Bitcoin] they have, these coins are like being in possession of a rare painting. Trying to exchange large amounts for [fiat] money without alerting suspicion will be very difficult.’

All public profiles of Danny Aston have since been deleted and, according to their neighbors, the couple now seems to be hiding at a secret address since the robbery occurred.