Rooch network co-founder robbed in Bangkok ahead of Ethereum Devcon

A crypto co-founder was robbed while traveling to Bangkok to attend the 2024 Ethereum Devcon conference.

Haichao Zhu, co-founder of Bitcoin app Rooch Network, urged Ethereum Devcon attendees to be careful in a Nov. 5 post after being robbed at knifepoint in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to Zhu, he was attacked while traveling alone after arriving in Bangkok late at night. The attackers stole his phone and left a small scratch on his hand.

Zhu was unharmed, but expressed disappointment with the response of the local police, sharing that he spent the whole night at the police station without any solution.

In his warning, Zhu urged Devcon attendees to be vigilant, especially after dark, adding: “Bangkok is still a safe and fun place like any other place, you should be careful about the darkness.”

Rooch Network’s second co-founder, Jole Star, stated in a separate

He also advised participants not to go out alone at night and not to use their phones while walking to minimize the risk.

Ethereum Devcon is the Ethereum Foundation’s largest annual meeting, and the seventh edition of the conference will kick off on November 12 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.

The event will be attended by notable figures such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Foundation chief executive Aya Miyaguchi, and former secretary of Portugal Bruno Macaes, as well as other prominent leaders in decentralized technology.

Far from an isolated incident, a similar attack occurred during the Ethereum Community Conference in Brussels in July. Rishant Kumar, Kilt Protocol’s chief growth officer and one of the conference attendees, warned of “bandits targeting cryptocurrency,” citing his own experience of fending off an attacker.

This year, a worrying trend has emerged with numerous robbery attempts targeting individuals with ties to cryptocurrencies. In August, 11 Israeli tourists were attacked and $700,000 worth of Bitcoin was stolen from them.

Just a month ago, a 29-year-old was killed after attackers forced him to transfer approximately 3 Bitcoins.