The mastermind behind the Bitfinex hack, one of the most prominent cases in crypto security history, has been released early from prison after serving 14 months, under a 2018 law signed by US President Donald Trump.
Bitfinex Hack Mastermind Receives Early ReleaseNotably, Trump signed the bipartisan First Step Act on December 21, 2018, aiming to improve criminal justice outcomes and reduce the size of the federal prison population. The law included a series of reforms, including one to establish a “risk and needs assessment system” that offers some inmates rehabilitative programming and the opportunity to be released early into home confinement.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) previously declared that Lichtenstein used advanced hacking techniques and tools to access Bitfinex’s network. He then transferred 119,574 Bitcoin to one of his crypto wallets through more than 2,000 transactions.
“I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can,” Lichtenstein affirmed on his Friday announcement, thanking his supporters for the help and vowing to prove “the haters” wrong.
Crypto Heist Figures Reunite Under Trump’s LawMorgan, a rapper known online as “Razzlekhan,” entered prison in February 2025 but was released early from prison after eight months under the First Step Act. In late October, she posted a video on X, sharing the news and thanking President Trump for her release.
Notably, they used fake identities to create online accounts, deposited the stolen Bitcoin in several darknet markets and crypto exchanges to withdraw the funds, converted BTC to other cryptocurrencies, and deposited part of the funds into crypto mixers. The couple seemingly managed to launder 21% of the total funds stolen from Bitfinex.
At the time, prosecutors argued that Morgan was “a willing participant and bears full responsibility for her actions.” Nonetheless, they noted that she was “a lower-level participant,” which resulted in her reduced sentence.
