Crypto hacker who stole $11 billion of bitcoin sentenced to prison
A hacker has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing and laundering approximately 120,000 bitcoin – worth more than $11 billion at current prices – from the crypto exchange Bitfinex.
Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, before laundering the funds with his wife Heather Morgan.
It was one of the largest-ever thefts from a cryptocurrency exchange, with US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly describing the theft as “meticulously planned” and not an impulsive act.
“It’s important to send a message that you can’t commit these crimes with…