Convicted Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein released early from prison
TL;DR
Ilya Lichtenstein, convicted for laundering Bitcoin from the 2016 Bitfinex hack, was released early on Jan. 2, 2026, due to the First Step Act. He was arrested in 2022 with his wife after U.S. authorities seized $4.5 billion in stolen BTC.
Source: Coinpaper
Ilya Lichtenstein, who was convicted for his role in laundering Bitcoin stolen during the 2016 Bitfinex hack, has been released from prison earlier than expected. His release took place on Jan. 2, 2026, several years before the completion of his original sentence. Lichtenstein credited his early release to provisions under the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform law signed in 2018, which allows sentence reductions for inmates who participate in rehabilitation programs and demonstrate good conduct. Lichtenstein was arrested in Feb. 2022 alongside his wife, Heather Morgan, after U.S. authorities traced nearly 120,000 BTC stolen from Bitfinex. At the time of the arrest, the stolen Bitcoin was valued at approximately $4.5 billion, making it one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures in US history. Full Story