The most sensational hacker case in cryptocurrency exchange history has made new progress. The mastermind behind the Bitfinex hack, Ilya Lichtenstein (nickname Dutch), was released on January 2, 2025, after serving only one year of a five-year sentence.

This Russian-American tech entrepreneur was born in 1988 and holds dual citizenship. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in psychology. He previously founded the software sales company MixRank and has been involved in blockchain, big data, and automation fields.

Back in August 2016, Bitfinex was targeted by hackers. Lichtenstein planned and executed the entire attack alone—using advanced hacking tools to infiltrate the exchange's internal systems, initiating over 2000 fraudulent transactions, and transferring approximately 119,754 bitcoins to wallets under his control. At that time, this fortune was valued at about $71 million. But this is not the end of the story—随着比特币价格的暴涨，这批被盗资产如今价值已超过100亿美元，这也正说明了为什么这起案件被业界持续关注。

After the theft, he and his wife Heather Morgan (stage name Razzlekhan, a rapper and entrepreneur) began money laundering operations. Ultimately, the case concluded with his release, reflecting new trends in the US penal system.