Bitfinex Hacker Ilya Lichtenstein Credits First Step Act for Early Release
Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein credits Trump’s First Step Act for early prison release
Ilya Lichtenstein, the Russian-U.S. national who confessed to hacking crypto exchange Bitfinex and stealing nearly 120,000 bitcoin, said he is being released from prison earlier than expected and credited the bipartisan First Step Act for his shortened time behind bars.
In a statement, Lichtenstein thanked President Donald Trump’s 2018 criminal justice reform law, describing it as the reason for his early release.
The update ties one of the most widely known crypto-related criminal cases to a broader U.S. policy shift on sentencing and incarceration. The First Step Act was designed to reduce recidivism and adjust how certain federal inmates can earn time credits, and it has affected release timelines for some eligible prisoners.
For the crypto industry, the case remains a reminder of the long tail of major exchange hacks: criminal proceedings and sentencing outcomes can continue to make news years after the underlying theft, even as the sector’s security practices and law enforcement capabilities evolve.
