Smithsonian displays laptop that helped nab Bitcoin thieves who stole billions of dollars worth

[Garth Gator]

The old saying goes, “crime doesn’t pay”—unless you’re the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), apparently, tracking down billions of dollars in stolen Bitcoin. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has recently put on display a rather unassuming 2019 MacBook Pro, one that played a starring role in a historic crime investigation. This laptop was crucial in helping IRS Special Agent Chris Janczewski recover $3.6 billion in Bitcoin that had vanished in the 2016 Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange hack, making it part of the largest financial seizure in US history.

 

The story dates back to 2016, when hacker Ilya Lichtenstein managed to infiltrate the Bitfinex exchange, running off with nearly 120,000 Bitcoins—worth about $70 million at the time. As years passed and Bitcoin’s value soared, that stolen stash was worth an eye-watering $8.6 billion. Lichtenstein, together with his wife Heather Morgan—who also happens to be a rapper known as ‘Razzlekhan’—set up intricate laundering schemes to disguise their illicit gains.

 

Agent Janczewski approached the investigation much like a digital detective, treating the blockchain like a crime scene filled with clues. His efforts eventually led to the arrest of Lichtenstein and Morgan and the recovery of the majority of the stolen funds. Lichtenstein was sentenced to five years in prison, while Morgan received an 18-month sentence.

 

Ellen Feingold, who curates the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian, spoke about the importance of adding the laptop to their exhibit. For her, the artifact represents a significant chapter in the evolution of digital currency and its wider implications on the world of finance.

 

 

 

Visitors interested in the twists and turns of modern finance can now see this laptop on display in the Value of Money gallery at the museum. The exhibit explores how currency has transformed over time and the challenges law enforcement faces as they grapple with the rise of digital finance and cybercrime.

 

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/a-federal-agents-laptop-held-the-keys-to-seize-36-billion-in-stolen-bitcoin-heres-how-it-ended-up-at-the-smithsonian-180985485/ 
• https://gizmodo.com/laptop-that-helped-bring-down-bitcoin-thief-razzlekhan-is-now-in-the-smithsonian-2000526991 

 

 

Image: Sirawit Hengthabthim | Dreamstime.com