The cybercriminal behind the 2016 Bitfinex hack has been released from prison early thanks to Trump’s 2018 First Step Act

Ilya Lichtenstein, convicted for his role in the 2016 Bitfinex hack, has been released from prison early thanks to Trump’s 2018 First Step Act, according to a Trump administration official who told CNBC. He is scheduled for release from prison on 25 January 2026 and is currently on home confinement after serving significant time.

Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan, were arrested in February 2022 for alleged conspiracy to launder billions in stolen cryptocurrency tied to the Bitfinex heist, in which 120,000 bitcoin were stolen. In November 2024 he was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack, with the government reporting that over 96% of the stolen funds have been recovered and that more than $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency was seized. Morgan received an 18-month sentence but was released about a month earlier.