Billion-dollar Bitcoin hacker Ilya Lichtenstein released early, thanks Trump's reforms

Just over a year after receiving a five-year prison sentence for stealing billions of dollars in Bitcoin, hacker Ilya Lichtenstein has been freed, thanking US President Donald Trump for his early release. 

He shared his freedom in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude to Trump: “Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I have been released from prison early. I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can.”

The First Step Act, referenced by Lichtenstein, is a criminal justice reform bill which was enforced in 2018 during Trump’s first presidency. 

The bill expands options for early release, including earned time credits. 

A Trump administration official confirmed Lichtenstein's early release in a statement to CNBC, stating that he “has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies.”

Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather Morgan, responded to his announcement, complementing it with a photo if the duo together.

Morgan, known as the infamous rapper “Razzlekhan” or “the Crocodile of Wall Street,” was also charged for her role in misappropriating billions in Bitcoin stolen during the 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex. 

She received an 18-month sentence but was reportedly released early, a development she brought to light in an October post on X. 

The couple was arrested in 2022, and has since become the focus of a Netflix docuseries and an upcoming film highlighting their unusual story.