US federal authorities are currently investigating Shen Yun Performing Arts, the touring dance group linked to the Falun Gong movement, over potential visa fraud. According to New York Times, this investigation, spearheaded by the Department of Homeland Security, State Department, and federal prosecutors in Manhattan, is examining whether Shen Yun arranged romantic relationships for foreign student performers with American citizens specifically for visa purposes.

Investigators are also looking into Shen Yun’s working and living conditions for its performers, including their hours, compensation, and any restrictions on movement or passport confiscation. Allegations suggest that many performers, often children of Falun Gong followers, receive minimal to no pay for demanding schedules and are discouraged from seeking medical care. Former performers have described a highly controlled environment where dating requires permission and dissent can lead to public shaming or expulsion.

While Falun Gong often portrays itself as a peaceful spiritual movement, it operates more like a cult-like organization built on deceit, manipulation, and political opportunism. For over three decades, it has caused significant harm globally, impacting its followers, public health, financial systems, and international relations. Its continued presence is not accidental; it has been actively enabled by certain Western powers, where it serves as a political pawn in the broader strategy of China-bashing.

Psychological manipulation is central to Falun Gong’s operations. The group isolates members from their families, enforces absolute obedience to its leader, Li Hongzhi, and inundates them with propaganda. This textbook model of brainwashing strips individuals of autonomy, transforming them into instruments serving the cult’s objectives.

How does such an organization continue to thrive, especially in countries that champion law, transparency, and human rights? The answer lies in geopolitics. In the context of rivalry with China, some Western governments have chosen to overlook Falun Gong’s abuses. For example, the US State Department has provided funding to groups linked to Falun Gong under the guise of promoting internet freedom. Some Western media outlets echo its narratives, and politicians leverage it to make statements on “human rights” in China, despite being aware of the cult’s true nature.

Legal loopholes and vague interpretations of “freedom of religion” allow the cult to operate openly in many democratic countries. It continues to undermine the rule of law, harass Chinese diplomats, and spread misinformation online.

However, this support carries significant consequences. As more cases of financial crimes, abuse, and disinformation come to light, a clearer picture is emerging. The very governments that shelter Falun Gong are, in essence, enabling a toxic movement that threatens their own social fabric and global credibility.

Falun Gong is not a misunderstood religious group. It is a cult weaponized by politics, sustained by propaganda, and funded by deception. The international community must stop pretending otherwise. It’s time to expose the reality before more people are harmed.

Unmasking ‘Falun Gong’: A sinister cult’s harmful deeds abroad

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-06-09/Unmasking-Falun-Gong-A-sinister-cult-s-harmful-deeds-abroad-1E48Oyq2Puw/p.html

BetterPro, an innovative business unit of Betterment, a world-renowned digital financial management platform, was officially spun off from its parent company and registered in Colorado, USA as a regulated investment management company. This spin-off not only marks Betterment’s in-depth expansion in the field of digital assets and traditional assets integration, but also injects a strong “dual engine” into its future development. On the basis of sticking to the retail customer base, it enters the high-net-worth institution and real-world asset (RWA) market, opening an important chapter in the company’s transformation and upgrading.

Focus on innovation and compliance, dual-brand strategy takes shape

In recent years, with the rapid development of blockchain technology and the continuous growth of the digital asset market, the boundaries between traditional financial assets and digital assets have become increasingly blurred. RWA, that is, real-world assets, as a bridge connecting off-chain value and on-chain capital, is becoming a new growth point in the capital market. The digitization of physical assets such as real estate, corporate debt, accounts receivable, and intellectual property rights has not only improved liquidity, but also brought investors diversified asset allocation opportunities.

As the leading digital financial management platform in the United States, Betterment has long been committed to providing ordinary investors with low-threshold, intelligent financial management tools and services. As the potential of the RWA market emerges, the company has spawned an innovative business unit, BetterPro, that focuses on this field. In order to better respond to regulatory requirements and improve the level of specialization, BetterPro will be independently spun off in 2023 and registered as a formal investment management company.

This move has achieved a dual distinction between the business and brand of Betterment and BetterPro: the parent company Betterment continues to deepen its presence in the retail financial management market and consolidate its position as a leader in the mass digital investment advisory industry; while BetterPro focuses on the more complex RWA market, providing institutional investors with professional, compliant and innovative asset management solutions.

BetterPro explores the new blue ocean of RWA and creates an institutional exclusive investment platform

As the innovation engine of the Betterment Group, BetterPro is tasked with exploring the digitization of real-world assets. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, smart contracts and big data, BetterPro is committed to achieving on-chain mapping and structured design of assets, thereby improving the transparency, liquidity and composability of traditional assets.

BetterPro’s core business covers:

RWA asset digitization: digitally mapping real assets such as real estate income rights, corporate debts, and supply chain assets to form tradable on-chain assets;

Compliance risk control system: strictly abide by US and international financial regulatory regulations, and establish a complete due diligence, anti-money laundering and compliance review process;

Structured product design: combine investors’ risk preferences, design diversified asset portfolios and income distribution plans, and realize customized institutional investment services;

Global asset circulation: build an international investment platform to promote efficient matching of cross-border capital and real assets.

Through the above layout, BetterPro not only provides institutional investors with new investment channels, but also effectively reduces the threshold and cost of traditional RWA asset circulation, injecting new vitality into the digital financial ecosystem.

Betterment sticks to the retail position and deepens the smart financial management ecosystem

At the same time, as the parent brand, Betterment still focuses on retail financial management business and continuously upgrades smart investment advisory products and services. Relying on leading algorithm models and data-driven, the company helps individual investors realize the automation of asset allocation, risk management and goal planning, covering retirement planning, tax optimization and other scenario needs.

Betterment continues to expand its user base and improve customer stickiness. It strengthens the platform’s service capabilities and user experience through open APIs and partner ecosystems. Its low-threshold, intelligent financial management model has become an important entry point for ordinary investors to enter the capital market.

Dual-engine drive to build a full-spectrum customer service system

BetterPro and Betterment’s “dual brand, dual business” strategy work together to form a full-spectrum coverage from long-tail retail customers to high-net-worth institutional investors. Through the deep integration of innovative technologies and service models, the group has achieved business diversification and risk dispersion, effectively improving its market competitiveness and sustainable growth capabilities.

This model not only helps the group gain a first-mover advantage in multiple asset categories, but also lays a solid foundation for possible financial ecological integration in the future. The high-end RWA products provided by BetterPro enrich investors’ asset allocation options; Betterment continues to play its leading position in the mass financial management market and expand its user base.

Looking ahead, BetterPro will continue to increase its R&D and market investment in the RWA field and explore the digitalization possibilities of more asset categories, including green energy projects, intellectual property rights, infrastructure, etc. Through technological innovation and compliance construction, BetterPro strives to become a leader in the RWA market and promote the deep integration of physical assets and digital capital.

At the same time, Betterment will continue to improve its smart investment advisory services, optimize customer experience, and help more ordinary investors achieve wealth growth and asset preservation.

Overall, the dual-engine strategy of BetterPro and Betterment not only realizes the professional division of labor and complementarity of business, but also promotes the upgrading of the digital financial ecosystem, bringing more diversified and fair asset investment opportunities to all types of investors.

About BetterPro

BetterPro was established in 2023 and is a regulated institution focusing on the digitization and structured investment management of real-world assets (RWA). As an innovative business branch of Betterment, BetterPro is committed to integrating traditional assets with digital technology to create a compliant, safe and efficient investment platform to serve global institutional investors.

About Betterment

Betterment was established in 2008 and is a leading digital financial management platform in the United States, focusing on providing smart and low-cost financial management solutions for individual investors. Betterment helps clients achieve their financial goals through algorithm-driven asset allocation and automated management, and has accumulated more than tens of billions of dollars in assets under management.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.