Hackers Move $5.8 Mln in Bitcoin from Coins Stolen in 2016, Ignoring Bitfinex Offer of Reward for Returning BTC
Whale Alert Twitter bot has reported that hackers who managed to steal a whopping $72 mln from Bitfinex four years ago continue to move the stolen funds to new wallets in lumps.
This time they have made two transactions, totaling $5.8 mln in Bitcoin. This has happened despite the offer made by Bitfinex recently to pay up to $400 mln to anyone who will help them establish contact with the malefactors to get the stolen Bitcoin back. Or at least what is left of it now.
Another $5.8 mln from the 120,000 BTC moved on
The amount of Bitcoin stolen by hackers from the major Bitfinex exchange in early August 2016 equals 120,000 BTC, totaling around $72 mln back then. Today's BTC exchange rate makes that 1,472,148,000 in USD.
Now, the hackers have moved 473.3183 BTC from that amount, or $5,843,107.
This year, hackers have been actively moving parts of the stolen Bitcoins. Earlier, U.Today reported that the malefactors had transferred $4,975,676, then $7,006,854, and more transactions were made earlier this year.
Yuri MolchanBitfinex strives to get in touch with the hackers
According to a press release shared earlier with U.Today, the crypto exchange is eager to contact the culprits who stole the crypto in 2016 and get it back from them.
Bitfinex has announced a reward for anyone who can put them in direct contact with the hackers. The exchange is even prepared to pay the hackers too—if they send what is left of the stolen crypto back.
The reward pool Bitfinex has prepared totals thirty percent of the stolen 120,000 BTC (at the current rate)—approximately $400,000,000. This is thirty percent of the initial stolen amount.
However, there have been no reports from Bitfinex about any successful contact with the malefactors or the possibility of getting any of the stolen Bitcoin back.
A crypto whale moves 19,722 BTC
Whale Alert also reported that another mammoth-sized amount of BTC has been moved between anonymous wallets.
A crypto whale has moved $243,461,019 in Bitcoin (19,722 BTC) for a tiny fee of 0.01129356 BTC: $138.41. That is a fee that no bank would offer for transferring such a massive amount of funds.
Besides, banks are also well behind in terms of transaction speed. Even though Bitcoin transactions can take a few hours to verify, a gargantuan sum of money like that would take several days or a week to be sent via a bank.
Arman Shirinyan
Alex Dovbnya
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov