- Amazon MGM Studio is developing a movie based on the Bitfinex hack.
- The movie will focus on the criminals linked with the hack, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan.
- The New York Times is involved in the movie’s production.
Entertainment company Amazon MGM Studio is developing a movie based on the true story of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, the criminals who were linked with the 2016 Bitfinex hack.
The married couple were charged with conspiracy to launder money in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Justice, pleading guilty to orchestrating a $4.5 billion money-laundering scheme related to the infamous hack.
The movie is reported to be inspired by a 2022 article in the New York Times. The newspaper is also involved in the production, with American writer and director Hannah Marks, who will direct and write. Moreover, reports showed that “Riverdale” American actress Lili Reinhart and film producer Catherine Hagedorn will produce the movie.
The movie, to be named “Razzlekhan,” takes its name from Morgan’s rapper stage name. Reportedly, Morgan was an aspiring rapper going by the name “Razzlekhan” while working in the cybersecurity field.
The couple admitted to stealing 120,900 Bitcoins, which were around $3.6 billion at the time and approximately $5.1 billion now. The reports claimed that Lichtenstein and Morgan agreed to forfeit their gains but, if convicted, could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to reports, Lichtenstein confessed to being the original hacker responsible for the 2016 cyberattack on the crypto exchange last year in August. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco described the $3.6 billion as the “department’s largest financial seizure ever.”
In related news, a recent report by Chainalysis showed that the amount of funds stolen over the last year in crypto crimes decreased substantially compared to the year before. Per the report, 2023 saw a $1.7 billion loss, a 54.3% decrease from the year before.
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