Mon, 2 Nov 2026
Crypto · Security

Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein is out of prison early

Lichtenstein, convicted over the theft tied to $3.6 billion in seized bitcoin, says he was released early under the First Step Act.

Osamah Ismail · Founder & Editor-in-Chief
· 1 min read · Updated:
Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein is out of prison early
Image: Bitfinex

Ilya Lichtenstein, convicted in the Bitfinex hack case, announced on X that he has been released early from prison.

What he said

He wrote that he was out early "thanks to President Trump's First Step Act", a prison reform law from Trump's first term, and that he remains committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity.

An administration official told CNBC he is on home confinement.

The heist

  • In 2022 the US Justice Department arrested Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan
  • Authorities seized $3.6 billion in stolen bitcoin
  • He pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to five years
  • Netflix made a documentary about them: Biggest Heist Ever

It is unclear whether the administration played a direct role in his release.

Sources: TechCrunch, CNBC, US Department of Justice
Osamah Ismail

Founder and editor-in-chief of Kurd Developers. Phone and tech news on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.