Individual charged with money laundering admits to hacking Bitfinex in 2016: Report

The identity of the hacker or hackers behind an exploit that removed more than 100,000 Bitcoin from Bitfinex in 2016 had only been the subject of speculation until Aug. 3.

One-half of the couple alleged to have laundered billions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency has reportedly admitted he was behind the 2016 Bitfinex hack.

According to an Aug. 3 CNBC report, Ilya Lichtenstein told a U.S. court he was the individual behind an exploit of cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex in 2016 that resulted in the theft of roughly 119,754 Bitcoin (BTC). Lichtenstein spoke as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, who charged him and his wife, Heather Morgan, with money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

At the time of publication, it was unclear whether Morgan played any role in the Bitfinex hack. She is expected to appear before a judge on Aug. 3 as part of the same plea agreement in the money laundering case. Authorities arrested the pair in February 2022.

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.