Bitfinex Hackers Arrested Six Years Later for Stolen $60 Million From Crypto Exchange

<p>The couple responsible for Bitfinex's 2016 hack have been apprehended.</p> <p>Hacks on cryptocurrency exchanges are almost as old as the exchanges themselves. As long as there are gaps in an exchange's defences to exploit, bad actors will profit from those flaws. Some hacks result in massive losses, while others result in minor losses. The Bitfinex hack of 2016 was far from minor; hackers stole $60 million in assets. That stolen bag is now worth billions of dollars, six years after the hacking occurred. And many cryptocurrency investors thought the hackers got away with it. A pair of arrests made today, on the other hand, indicate otherwise.</p> <p>Bitfinex, founded in Hong Kong in 2012, is one of the older cryptocurrency exchanges. It was created by iFinex Inc., the same company that created the Tether stablecoin (USDT). Today, the exchange is known as one of the largest platforms for trading digital assets; Bitfinex is the world's eighth-largest exchange by trading volume, with approximately $1 billion in assets traded each day.</p> <p>In 2016, the exchange was robbed by two hackers who stole $60 million in Bitcoin (BTC). Six years later, the bag's worth has risen to $4.5 billion. Authorities have been on a wild goose chase since then, attempting to locate the stolen assets. Fortunately for them, the chase appears to be winding down.</p> <p>Hackers Caught Laundering Bitcoin on Bitfinex</p> <p>Bitfinex has the last laugh today. The United States Department of Justice has made two arrests in connection with the platform hack, and the hackers face a slew of charges.</p> <p>Today, two New York City residents, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, were arrested in connection with the 2016 hack. The couple is scheduled to appear in court for the first time this afternoon, the first of many court appearances.</p> <p>Last week, the situation in the case began to heat up significantly. Authorities admitted to closely monitoring the assets' movements. They were able to seize $3.5 billion in Bitcoin through this