120,000 Bitcoins from Bitfinex exchange in 2016 $101,762.8 Ilya Lichtenstein, who stole and pleaded guilty last year, made a public statement for the first time after his arrest in 2022.
Disclosure and Acceptance of Liability
Lichtenstein admitted that he carried out the attack alone in a five-minute video uploaded to the X platform. This statement denied speculation in the documentary released by Netflix that his father was involved in the incident.
“I acted alone and I was aware of my mistake. “I offer my sincerest apologies for the stress I have caused Bitfinex,” -Lichtenstein.
Lichtenstein stated that he plans to work in the cybersecurity industry after serving his sentence. In his current statements, he emphasized that he understands cyber threats better and is determined to combat them.
His Wife’s Accusations
Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather Morgan, is also known by the nickname “Razzlekhan.” Bitcoin pleaded guilty to money laundering charges. Morgan was sentenced to 18 months in prison and the value of Bitcoin has increased significantly since 2016.
Additionally, Lichtenstein argued that all the money related to the theft was transferred to his account and returned. He stated that, contrary to the Netflix documentary, there is no part of the stolen money that has not been recovered yet. A hearing regarding the refund process for the Bitfinex theft will be held in February. At this hearing, it will be determined whether the money will be returned to Bitfinex or directly to its users. Exchange officials argue that the BTCs belong to them because the investor compensated the loss with the tokens issued at that time (the damage was compensated over time). However, claims that LEO Coin will be fully recovered by the stock market after BTC refunds may cause fluctuations in its price in February.
Finally, it has been stated that other crypto exchanges have recently encountered similar attacks and the importance of security measures has increased. Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein publicly apologized and stated that he had learned from his mistake.
For those who want to learn about Bitcoin theft, it is important to learn protection methods and choose reliable exchanges.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should carry out their transactions in line with their own research.
