---
layout: static-informational
title: Zhou Tong
description: "Founder of [Bitcoinica](events/bitcoinica.md), Major player in the early Bitcoin community"
permalink: /people/zhou-tong
people-groups: []
---

His name is the origin of the cryptocurrency community slang "Zhou Tonged":

> Bitcoin Slang, Your positions are automatically liquidated due to insufficient trading balance after a margin call. This occurs when trading using "leverage buying" at high levels 5:1 or 10:1. The large swings in the Bitcoin exchange rates can force automated margin selling, when the Broker sells out the customer without notice. I Just Got "ZHOU TONGED"!.... lost it all on a margin call.

Zhou Tong presided over the Bitcoinica debacle and is a suspected scammer/thief. I'll be including a lot more about him when I do the research on the Bitcoinica collapse/theft.

## Links

* [@zhoutong on Twitter](https://twitter.com/zhoutong)
* [zhoutong's posts on BitcoinTalk](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=38455;sa=showPosts)
* [Zhou Tonged on Urban Dictionary](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Zhou%20Tonged)
* ZhouTonged on Youtube - [Zhou Tonged's Videos](https://www.youtube.com/user/ZhouTonged/videos) - _parody songs about Bitcoin events, not by Zhou Tong but referencing his name_
* 13-May-2012 BitcoinTalk - [I'm leaving Bitcoin](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=81581.0) by Zhou Tong
* 30-May-2012 BitcoinMagazine - [10 Questions with Zhou Tong](https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/10-questions-with-zhou-tong-1338356262/) by coinabul
* 28-Feb-2015 /r/bitcoin - [PSA: Zhou Tong created CoinJar, the service behind the Bitcoin Debit card in Austrailia on the front page of /r/Bitcoin. He is the creator of Bitcoinica and a suspected thief.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2xfag9/psa_zhou_tong_created_coinjar_the_service_behind/)
* 09-Sep-2015 /r/bitcoin - [looks like the stolen Bitcoinica funds returned by Zhou Tong were being used by him as his personal Bitcoin prior to the return... with a payment to Theymos](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/3k5zen/looks_like_the_stolen_bitcoinica_funds_returned/)
* 10-Sep-2015 CryptoCoinsNews.com - [Does Bitcoinica Founder Zhou Tong Have Some Explaining To Do?](https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoinica-founder-zhou-tong-explaining/) by John Weru Maina
* 09-Nov-2015 CryptoCoinsNews.com - [Suspected Scammer Zhou Tong is CoinJar Co-Founder](https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/suspected-scammer-zhou-tong-coinjar-co-founder/) by P. H. Madore