Amazon's MGM Studios is reportedly in the early stages of developing a movie centered around the story of the couple involved in laundering billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin linked to the 2016 Bitfinex hack. According to a report from Deadline on January 26, the movie, titled "Razzlekhan," will delve into the actions of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, exploring their role in money laundering at Bitfinex. The script is said to be inspired by a 2022 New York Times article that referred to the couple as the "Bonnie and Clyde of Bitcoin."
The narrative of the film is expected to revolve around the August 2016 Bitfinex hack, where approximately 119,754 Bitcoins were stolen. Prosecutors alleged that Lichtenstein and Morgan laundered over 94,643 Bitcoins through intricate transactions across various accounts and platforms. The U.S. authorities arrested the couple in February 2022, seizing Bitcoins valued at around $54 million at the time of the hack, but with a later worth surpassing $3 billion at the time of their arrest.
Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, while Morgan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States in August 2023, as part of an agreement with prosecutors. The proposed title, "Razzlekhan," is said to be a nickname for Heather Morgan, described as an "irreverent comedy rapper." While the film aims to provide a dramatic perspective on the couple's life, other studios have chosen to explore figures in the cryptocurrency space through documentaries.
Following the events surrounding FTX in 2022 and the arrest of former CEO Sam "SBF" Bankman-Fried, rumors circulated about a documentary that would delve into the relationship between SBF and former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Additionally, Netflix is set to release a documentary in 2022, focusing on the life and demise of Gerald Cotten, the founder of QuadrigaCX, who left users unable to access millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency.
