Ilya Likhtenstein, convicted of hacking Bitfinex, was released early, 2026/01/03 10:40:26

Russian-American hacker and husband of a rapper under the pseudonym Razzlekhan Ilya Lichtenstein, who admitted to stealing 120,000 bitcoins from the Bitfinex crypto exchange, was released early from prison.

Liechtenstein announced this on social media X, promising to make a significant contribution to the field of cybersecurity. The man clarified that his release from custody was made possible thanks to the American First Step Act on prison reform, signed by US President Donald Trump during his first presidential term. The law was passed in December 2018 to allow prisoners to receive early release or house arrest for good behavior.

The First Step Act also aims to reduce the prison sentences of crypto-criminals who may be subject to house arrest. Liechtenstein is scheduled to be officially released on February 9, according to federal prisoner records. According to CNBC, a Trump administration official confirmed that Liechtenstein has served a significant amount of his sentence and is now under house arrest.

Lichtenstein’s wife Heather Morgan also confirmed his early return, posting a photo together with the caption: “The best New Year’s gift I could have received was finally seeing my husband home after four years of separation.”

In November 2024, Liechtenstein was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to the Bitfinex hack, which now caused more than $4 billion in damages, and facilitating the movement of stolen cryptocurrency. The sentence imposed included time already served following his 2022 arrest, significantly reducing Lichtenstein’s time in prison. 

Morgan pleaded guilty in the same case to facilitating the laundering of stolen funds. In February 2025, she received 18 months in prison, but in October the woman spoke about her early release, expressing gratitude to Trump for reducing the prison term.