What? In the future, VPN use will be illegal, and any money earned through VPNs will also be considered illegal gains and confiscated? The Ministry of Public Security of China released the "Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law (Draft for Comments)" in January 2026. It is currently in the consultation phase and has not yet become an official law. 🎈 In this draft law, the following are explicitly defined as criminal behaviors: - Using false identities, forging documents, impersonating others to open phone cards, IoT cards, bank cards, payment accounts - Buying, renting, selling, leasing phone cards, IoT cards, bank/payment accounts, online accounts - Holding a large number of accounts not registered in one's real name without legitimate reasons - Using network address switching tools, bulk phone card control tools, etc., to bypass registration review, and registering accounts in bulk - Interfering with or disrupting real-name systems - Providing payment settlement, traffic diversion, promotion, and other basic support for cybercrimes 🎈 The following behaviors are more likely to be ultimately interpreted as cybercrimes: - Using VPN tools → The draft does not explicitly state that "VPN is illegal," but if used to bypass real-name verification, access banned services, or engage in activities deemed cybercrimes, it can easily be seen as part of "interfering with the real-name system" or "evading regulatory measures" - Holding/using overseas SIM cards → Although "overseas cards" are not listed separately, registering domestic services with overseas cards or bypassing real-name verification will fall directly into the categories of "using false identities" or "disrupting the real-name system" - Cross-border anonymous/semi-anonymous operations (such as using overseas identities to participate in certain prediction markets, DeFi, virtual currency trading) → If involving cross-border funds, unregistered financial activities, or being classified as "gambling/scam support," VPN use + overseas cards + account registration could be traced as illegal - Mass/bulk account registration → Using switching tools or abnormal methods, likely interpreted as evading review - Legitimate income sources but traced back to illicit chains → Money earned might be deemed "illegal gains," such as receiving black money. Even if your money is legally obtained, it could still be classified as illegal gains. Watch how the law is ultimately revised. If it still contains so many fallback clauses, it’s best to keep crypto earnings out of the country.