Crypto Heist Gone Bust: Bitfinex Hacker Bags Five Years in the Clink
Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker behind the infamous Bitfinex hack, will spend five years in a US prison. He and his wife, Heather Morgan, laundered millions in stolen cryptocurrency. The heist, initially worth $70 million, ballooned to $10.7 billion today. Judge Kollar-Kotelly emphasized that crime doesn’t pay—unless it’s in Bitcoin.
Hot Take:
Who knew that a cryptocurrency heist could feel like an episode of “Breaking Bad” meets Silicon Valley? The only thing more surprising than the sheer scale of Lichtenstein’s theft is that his wife, an amateur rapper, got roped into this digital crime caper. I guess the real lesson here is: if you’re going to steal billions, make sure you have a catchy stage name and a good defense attorney!
Key Points:
- Ilya Lichtenstein sentenced to five years in prison for hacking Bitfinex in 2016.
- He stole 120,000 bitcoins, valued at $70 million then, now worth $10.7 billion.
- Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather Morgan, helped launder the stolen funds.
- They successfully laundered around 21% of the funds.
- Lichtenstein cooperated with law enforcement and helped recover 96% of the bitcoins.
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