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An In-Depth Look at the Couple Accused of Laundering 94,636 Bitcoin From the 2016 Bitfinex Hack

10/02/2022 by Idelto Editor

An In-Depth Look at the Couple Accused of Laundering 94,636 Bitcoin From the 2016 Bitfinex Hack

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) arrested two individuals that are accused of an “alleged conspiracy to launder” 94,636 bitcoins stolen from Bitfinex in 2016. Interestingly, both of the suspects are known individuals within the tech industry as Ilya Lichtenstein was the co-founder of Mixrank, a Y-Combinator backed startup and Heather Morgan was a writer for Forbes.

The Myriad of Mysterious Bitcoin Transfers From the 2016 Bitfinex Hack


The U.S. government announced the “largest cryptocurrency seizure to date” after the DOJ seized 94,636 bitcoins that were stolen in the August 2016 Bitfinex hack. On August 2, 2016, a hacker managed to breach Bitfinex and steal 120,000 bitcoin (BTC). Bitcoin’s price shuddered 24 hours after the breach losing 22% in USD value during the course of the aftermath. At first, Bitfinex talked about reimbursing customers with a bail-in haircut plan, which means traders would only get a fraction of losses.

Two weeks later after the 120,000 BTC was stolen, Bitfinex gave the crypto community an investigation update. Instead of following through with the haircut plan, Bitfinex introduced “recovery rights tokens,” in order to make amends with the customers who lost funds. The coins were called BFX tokens and by April 3, 2017, at 8 p.m. UST (4 p.m. EST), the crypto exchange revealed it had paid its debt in full. However, after this point in time, people stopped talking about the Bitfinex stolen bitcoins, but the addresses holding the coins were monitored.

In June 2019, the thieves moved 170 BTC and then 300 BTC in August 2019. On May 21, 2020, 30 coins from the Bitfinex hack started moving, and had been transferred once again to another unknown address. On June 11, 2020, hackers moved stolen Bitfinex coins, as they transferred 416 bitcoin to an unknown address. About a week later, the thieves moved 2,500 bitcoins and in October 2020, the hackers transferred 2,034 BTC to unknown wallets.

5,045 BTC was moved by the hackers on December 1, 2020, and then on April 14, 2021, thousands upon thousands of stolen Bitfinex bitcoins were transferred, and caught by blockchain parsers. But the most unusual move of them all was on February 1, 2022, when 94,643.29 bitcoin was consolidated into one address with no privacy-preserving tactics used. The moved bitcoins on February 1, represented 79.03% of the 119,756 BTC stolen on August 2, 2016.

Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan: The Duo Accused of Laundering Billions in Bitcoin Stolen From Bitfinex


Following the odd transfer, the DOJ announced on February 8, 2022, that it seized approximately 94,636 bitcoins and arrested two individuals. The accused Bitfinex bitcoin money launderers were Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Morgan, 31. Both of the accused bitcoin launderers were well known in the tech community and did not hide their presence online. Lichtenstein was the co-founder and CEO of Mixrank, which is essentially a customer discovery platform that works with sales representatives. Mixrank and Lichtenstein managed to raise $1.5 million from Mark Cuban and other investors.

Lichtenstein had no problem with public appearances and speaking in interviews about his entrepreneurship. Lichtenstein’s wife Heather Rhiannon Morgan was also not shy and was a contributor at Forbes, and wrote articles about things like cybercriminals. Morgan had close to 5,000 Instagram followers and she considered herself a street rapper and was called “Razzlekhan.” While performing and acting as her alter ego Razzlekhan, she also called herself “the Crocodile of Wall Street,” and the musician published a dedicated website.

“Just like her fearless entrepreneurial spirit and hacker mindset, Razz shamelessly explores new frontiers of art,” the web portal razzlekhan.com says. In fact, links are littered all over the internet about Lichtenstein and Morgan, as they both had a lot of entrepreneurial spirit. Morgan’s Linkedin profile says she is a “Serial Entrepreneur, SaaS Investors, and Surrealist.” Lichtenstein studied psychology at the University of Wisconsin and worked for many marketing jobs. He also has a dual U.S. and Russian citizenship after living there during his youth. After Lichtenstein’s career at Mixrank, he allegedly worked for a “stealth security startup.” The duo’s marriage is fairly recent as well, as Morgan and Lichtenstein got married in November 2021.

In addition to working for a “stealth security startup,” Lichtenstein was an angel investor at Demandpath. According to the website, Demandpath is “a boutique micro-fund investing in the next generation of promising technologies.” When the duo was arrested in Manhatten, the DOJ said that “thanks to the meticulous work of law enforcement, the department once again showed how it can and will follow the money, no matter what form it takes.” However, the DOJ did not disclose how the couple originally obtained the funds.

The U.S. government also did not detail what will happen to the seized bitcoin (BTC), but it’s assumed the coins will be auctioned like prior seizures. While no one knows right now how Lichtenstein and Morgan first got involved with the Bitfinex hack bitcoins, the public is well aware that the duo did not hide or attempt to keep themselves secretive. The couple, who were married in November 2021, broke the news that they would wed in the summer months before the wedding.

“[Heather Morgan is my] best friend and the woman of my dreams,” Lichtenstein said at the time.

Currently, the couple remains in prison because court prosecutors say the duo “presents a serious risk of flight.” The court prosecutors’ filing claims Lichtenstein and Morgan may still possess 7,506 ill-gotten bitcoin (BTC). If true, that would leave $333.8 million using current BTC exchange rates at the duo’s disposal.

“The investigation also showed that Lichtenstein and his wife, Morgan, engaged in extraordinarily complex laundering of a portion of the stolen funds stored in wallet 1CGA4s,” the filing details. “Specifically, beginning in or around January 2017, a portion of the stolen BTC moved out of wallet 1CGA4s in a series of small, complex transactions across multiple accounts and platforms.” The Washington judge presiding over the case halted the couple’s chance at bail after the prosecutors filed the flight risk concerns.

What do you think about the couple accused of laundering the 94,636 bitcoin seized by the DOJ? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Filed Under: 2016, 5000 Instagram followers, 94636 bitcoin, Bitfinex, Bitfinex Bitcoin, Bitfinex Bitcoins seized, Bitfinex BTC, CEO of Mixrank, English, Featured, Flight Risk, Forbes Writer, Heather Morgan, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, Ilya Lichtenstein, Mark Cuban, Mixrank, News Bitcoin, no bail, rapper, Razzlekhan, Razzlekhan Rapper, Russian citizenship, Washington Judge, Y Combinator

Eminem Purchases Bored Ape Yacht Club #9055 for $452K, Shady’s Portfolio Holds 166 NFTs

02/01/2022 by Idelto Editor

Eminem Purchases Bored Ape Yacht Club #9055 for $452K, Shady's Portfolio Holds 166 NFTs

Marshall Mathers, known professionally as Eminem has joined the community of bored apes by purchasing a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) non-fungible token (NFT) collectible for 123.45 ethereum or $452K at the time of settlement.

Slim Shady Purchases Bored Ape Yacht Club #9055 for $452K

The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs have been very popular this year and the project saw more than $1 billion in volume worldwide, according to defillama.com metrics. Now Eminem has joined the BAYC bandwagon by purchasing BAYC #9055 for 123.45 ether on Thursday. The Detroit hip hop star shared the image on Twitter by using it as his social media bio picture.

Furthermore, the BAYC #9055 purchase indicates that the new owner is called “Shady_Holdings” on the Opensea platform and the portfolio also owns a number of Lil Baby Doodles X NFTs, Ditaggdogg#1 featuring a stencil image of the rapper, and Superlative Apes #3880.

I’m living in a simulation.

Thank you @Eminem for buying my ape and joining the club!

Madness. Let me write a lyric in your next single 🤣 pic.twitter.com/myGNRmMLeD

— GeeGazza  (@Gee__Gazza) December 31, 2021

Eminem also owns the NFTs SABC #2615, Shaq Gives Back #4077, and Adult Fantasy Sub-Dude (130/151). In fact, the Shady_Holdings address holds a myriad of ERC721 NFTs. Eminem purchased BAYC #9055 from the NFT’s owner Geegazza, who shared his excitement on Twitter. Geegazza said:

I sold Eminem his @Boredapeyc…

Eminem Holds NFTs From 32 Collections

According to dappradar.com metrics, Slim Shady owns 166 non-fungible token (NFT) assets from 32 collections. At the time of writing, the address holds 1.52 ether after purchasing BAYC #9055 for 123.45. Eminem got 124 ether from an account that uses the ENS name georgio.eth. That account holds 504 NFTs from 51 collections including Bored Ape Yacht Club #4936 and it spent 43.98 ether ($164,832) on two Cryptopunks.

Eminem’s NFT spending spree follows the recording artist’s beat-inspired animated NFTs for Stans in April. Eminem’s NFT sale took place on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. Furthermore, in August, Slim Shady and Paul Rosenberg joined a slew of venture funds that injected $30 million into the NFT market Makersplace.

What do you think about Eminem’s Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) purchase for 123 ether and the rapper’s NFT collection? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Filed Under: $452K, 123 ether, BAYC #9055, Beats, Bitcoin, Blockchain, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Celebrities, Celebs, Collectors, dappradar.com, Detroit hip hop star, Eminem, Eminem NFTs, English, fans, Geegazza, georgio.eth, Hip Hop, News, News Bitcoin, nft, Opensea, Paul Rosenberg, rapper, Slim Shady, Slim Shady NFT, Stans

Makersplace Plans to Drop World’s First 2pac NFT Collection Authorized by the Shakur Estate

10/12/2021 by Idelto Editor

Makersplace Plans to Drop World’s First 2pac NFT Collection Authorized by the Shakur Estate

On December 15, the non-fungible token (NFT) market platform Makersplace will drop an assortment of NFTs based on Tupac Shakur’s most well-known jewelry pieces. Makersplace and the NFT artists and curators Impossible Brief and Digital Arts & Sciences worked closely with Shakur’s estate in order to drop the NFT collectibles called “The Immortal Collection.”

Tupac’s ‘The Immortal Collection’ to Drop on December 15


Fans of the rap legend Tupac Shakur (also known by his stage names 2pac and Makaveli) will soon be able to bid on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) officially backed by the Shakur estate. The NFTs will feature rare jewelry inspired by some of the pieces the influential rap star wore before his death on September 7, 1996. The NFTs for the drop hosted on Makersplace were designed by the NFT artist Impossible Brief, and curated by Digital Arts & Sciences in conjunction with the Shakur estate.

“[‘The Immortal Collection‘ is] set for release on December 15, this drop will feature an NFT jewelry collection based on some of Tupac’s most well-known pieces from his 2pac and diamond solitaire rings, to his Makaveli bracelet and the medallion he wore in the last photo ever taken of him,” the announcement details.

Makersplace Plans to Drop World’s First 2pac NFT Collection Authorized by the Shakur Estate

The NFTs are based on some of the Tupac artifacts and personal items that will be featured in the upcoming Tupac museum experience. The museum show will be called “Tupac Shakur: Wake Me When I’m Free,” which will premiere in January 2022.

Makersplace Plans to Drop World’s First 2pac NFT Collection Authorized by the Shakur Estate

The NFT artist Impossible Brief and curators Digital Arts & Sciences were able to select pieces from the rap legend’s archives with approval from the Shakur estate. The announcement details it will be “the world’s first NFT [collection] authorized by the Shakur estate.”

2pac NFT Jewelry Collection Dubbed: ‘Artist, Activist, Sinner, Saint’


The collection will feature four pieces of Tupac’s jewelry and will be called “Artist, Activist, Sinner, Saint.” The NFTs have “some of the deepest meanings and intentions attached to them,” the announcement details.

Makersplace Plans to Drop World’s First 2pac NFT Collection Authorized by the Shakur Estate

Tupac Shakur is widely considered the most influential rap artist of all time and he sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Approximately five full albums were released since Shakur’s death, and every album was certified Platinum.

“The four-piece Immortal Collection is based on and connected to what Tupac saw in himself, in the stories he felt were worthy of telling, and what connects everyone to each other,” the collection description concludes.

In 2020, the Shakur estate was estimated to be worth around $40 million. His mother, Afeni Shakur, managed his estate until she passed away in 2016. According to reports, trustees of Tupac’s estate are now managing the rapper’s inheritance. Despite being worth $40 million, it has also been reported that Tupac owed his record label three albums in exchange for bail funds to get out of prison.

What do you think about the first NFT collection officially approved by the Shakur estate? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Filed Under: 2pac, activist, archives, artist, Blockchain, bracelet, Digital Arts & Sciences, digital jewelry NFT, English, Hip Hop, Impossible Brief, jewelry pieces, Makaveli, medallion, music, News, News Bitcoin, NFT artist, NFTs, Non-fungible tokens, rapper, Ring, Saint, Shakur Estate, Sinner, The Immortal Collection, Tupac, Tupac NFTs, Tupac Shakur

Rap Star Snoop Dogg Teams up With the Harlem Globetrotters in an NFT Sitcom

21/10/2021 by Idelto Editor

Rap Star Snoop Dogg Teams up With the Harlem Globetrotters in an NFT Sitcom

On October 20, the iconic rap star Snoop Dogg announced he’s participating in a non-fungible token (NFT) sitcom with the popular basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters. According to the announcement, the NFT drop is part of a campaign featuring a limited edition Snoop Dogg and Globetrotters NFT collection.

NFT Whale Snoop Dogg Partners With the Harlem Globetrotters

It’s well known that the musician and American rapper Snoop Dogg is a fan of cryptocurrencies and non-fungible token (NFT) assets. In recent times, the crypto community discovered that Snoop was a crypto whale with a large collection of NFTs in his portfolio.

This was after the hip-hop star said bitcoin was “here to stay” and lauded the innovations behind non-fungible token technology. Snoop also partnered with Crypto.com when it launched its NFT marketplace and recently the rapper partnered with the NFT blockchain virtual world The Sandbox.

On Wednesday evening (EDT), the rapper revealed that he partnered with the iconic Harlem Globetrotters, the basketball innovators who popularized concepts like the jump shot, slam dunk, and the team’s players also invented the half-court hook shot. The American exhibition basketball team originated from the South Side of Chicago in 1926.

A number of famous players who later joined the NBA were members of the Globetrotters such as Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins. The NFT release with Snoop and the Globetrotters will be a limited edition NFT sitcom featuring the team and the rapper. The NFT will be available exclusively through the web portal the vast.app.

“Marking the NFT drop as part of the Globetrotters’ New Tech, New Trainer, New Tour campaign, the NFT sitcom, “Da Dogg Gone Gym” features a 1970’s era Snoop Dogg as a Globetrotter trainer along with Bay Area dancer and viral sensation Junebug,” the announcement notes. The sitcom NFT description also states:

Complete with canned applause and laugh tracks, the sitcom serves up the same lighthearted appeal and basketball cred that define both the Harlem Globetrotters and Snoop Dogg.

Globetrotter Players Say It’s a Dream Come True to Work With the Iconic Hip-Hop Legend

Sunni Hickman, the Globetrotters’ VP of marketing and sales detailed that it’s been a “dream come true for our Globetrotter players to work with the iconic Snoop Dogg.” Hickman added, “[Snoop’s] passion for basketball and baller culture is second to none; to have him as part of our team has been super dope.”

According to the announcement, Snoop’s collaboration with the Globetrotters was sparked by the gaming and promotional network behind the vast.app, Amusement Park Entertainment, and creative strategy firm Brand Positioning Doctors. In the midst of the NFT drop, the Harlem Globetrotters are openly pursuing an NBA franchise.

What do you think about Snoop partnering with the Harlem Globetrotters in an NFT sitcom? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Blockchain, Connie "The Hawk" Hawkins, English, Globetrotters, Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Globetrotters NFTs, Hip Hop Star, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, NBA, News Bitcoin, NFT sitcom, NFTs, Non-fungible Token, Non-fungible token (NFT), Non-fungible tokens, rapper, Snoop Dogg, Sunni Hickman, VAST, vast.app, Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain

Youtube Superstar KSI ‘JJ’ Says ‘I’m Really Into Crypto, Bitcoin Is the Future’

09/08/2021 by Idelto Editor

Youtube Superstar KSI 'JJ' Says 'I'm Really Into Crypto, Bitcoin Is the Future'

Youtube superstar and rapper KSI, also known as JJ, says he is “really into crypto.” Emphasizing that “Bitcoin is the future,” he said a lot of people do not understand that crypto “is a long-haul thing.”

KSI Is ‘Really Into Crypto’

Famed rapper and popular Youtuber KSI talked about bitcoin and cryptocurrency in an interview with GQ magazine published Friday.

KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, is also known as JJ. He was ranked second by The Sunday Times in its list of the top 100 U.K. influencers in 2019. He is also part of the British Youtube group known as the Sidemen.

Responding to a question about the first thing he would do if he were prime minister, KSI said:

I’d give everyone £100 worth of bitcoin – like a bitcoin stimulus package for all. I’m really into crypto. I think Bitcoin is the future.

“It’s definitely going to be long term, but in ten years’ time, people who invested will be laughing,” he added.

KSI proceeded to compare bitcoin to fiat money. “Just look at how money is inflationary compared to bitcoin, which isn’t. There’s a set amount – you can’t increase the amount of bitcoin and that has value,” he emphasized, elaborating:

I feel like a lot of people are not really seeing that. They’re trying to look for quick money like, ‘Oh, I want to get in and out.’ This is a long-haul thing and I’m here for the journey.

Last month, he shared the story of how he made millions of pounds investing in cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, and “lost it all” when the crypto market “crashed.” Nonetheless, he still believes that “eventually you’re going to get a $100,000 bitcoin, a $500,000 bitcoin, and a $1 million bitcoin. It’s going to happen.”

What do you think about KSI’s comments on bitcoin and crypto? Let us know in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Bitcoin, English, Featured, JJ bitcoin, KSI, News Bitcoin, rapper, rapper ksi, Youtube Star, youtube superstar

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