2016 Bitfinex hack

The Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange was hacked in August 2016.[1] 119,756 bitcoin, worth about US$72 million at the time, was stolen.[1]

In February 2022, the US government recovered and seized a portion of the stolen bitcoin, then worth US$3.6 billion,[2] by decrypting a file owned by Ilya Lichtenstein that contained addresses and private keys associated with the stolen funds.[3] Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather R. Morgan, were charged with conspiracy to launder the stolen bitcoin.[3] In August 2023, Lichtenstein admitted to committing the theft. Both Lichtenstein and Morgan pleaded guilty to money laundering.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nyt20160803 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference wapo20220208 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Case: 1 :22-mj-00022 - Complaint with Arrest Warrant" (Press release). February 7, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  4. ^ Paúl, María Luisa (4 August 2023). "'Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde' plead guilty in 'spy novel'-like laundering case". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 August 2023.