A sophisticated cyberattack has resulted in the theft of approximately $20 million in cryptocurrency from a wallet controlled by the U.S. government. The funds, part of the recovered loot from the 2016 Bitfinex hack, were moved to a newly created wallet.
Blockchain security firms like Arkham Intelligence identified suspicious activity, including large withdrawals from the Aave lending platform and transfers to instant exchanges. These actions, coupled with the wallet’s history of illicit activity, strongly suggest a malicious exploit.
The 2016 Bitfinex hack, one of the largest in crypto history, saw the theft of over 119,000 Bitcoin. The perpetrators, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, were arrested in 2022 and subsequently pleaded guilty to money laundering and fraud.
While authorities recovered a significant portion of the stolen funds, this recent incident highlights the ongoing challenges in securing digital assets, even when controlled by government entities.