The U.S. government has filed a motion to return 94,000 Bitcoin to Bitfinex, the amount stolen during a 2016 hack. Initially valued at $72 million, they are now worth over $9 billion, reflecting the cryptocurrency's significant appreciation.
“The government is not aware of any person who qualifies as a victim under the CVRA or for restitution under the MVRA, beyond perhaps Bitfinex,” the filing stated. Bitfinex had previously compensated affected users with BFX tokens or company shares, but this ruling gives third parties, including Bitfinex account holders, the chance to contest the restitution terms.
The motion follows the 2022 arrest of Illya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who were charged with laundering the stolen funds. Lichtenstein pled guilty to the hack and received 5 years in prison, while Morgan received 18 months.
A Netflix documentary recently covered the story, shining a light on one of the biggest crypto heists in history.
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