The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has set up a website to collect statements from individuals affected by the 2016 Bitfinex hack, despite its stance that there are no victims under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. This initiative allows potential victims, including Bitfinex account holders, to express how they were impacted by the actions of defendants Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan. In August 2016, Lichtenstein hacked Bitfinex, stealing around 120,000 Bitcoin, now valued at approximately $9.2 billion. Following the breach, he devised a complex laundering scheme to conceal the stolen assets, involving cryptocurrency mixers and non-compliant exchanges. Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested in February 2022 and charged with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Lichtenstein pled guilty in August 2023 with sentencing scheduled for November 2024. Meanwhile, Morgan also pled guilty on the same day, with her sentencing set for a day later. This follows reports of a recent hack from a U.S. government wallet containing assets linked to the Bitfinex incident.

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