It would seem that the DOJ has identified the thievesa significant amount of bitcoins at Mt Gox. The 10,000 creditors of this crypto exchange, who have waited a long time for their refundmust be jumping for joy right now.
Mt Gox affair, the thieves unmasked
2011 was an annus horribilis for MT. Gox. For over this year, the Japan-based crypto firm has seen its 850,000 BTC stolen. Only 200,000 coins were recovered after this hack. This sum allowed the barons of this crypto exchange to begin reimbursing creditors this year.
But to everyone’s surprise, the US Department of Justice released crucial information from June 9. On his websitewe learned two names belonging to Russian nationals.
” The Justice Department has released charges related to the 2011 hack of the Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange and the operation of the illicit BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange.
Alexey Bilyuchenko, 43, and Aleksandr Verner, 29, both Russian nationals, are accused of conspiring to launder 647,000 bitcoins from the Mt. Gox hack.
Bilyuchenko is also accused of conspiring with Alexander Vinnik to mine BTC-e from 2011 to 2017. »
Bitcoin hacking and laundering
The prosecutors in charge of the case specified that the Mt Gox hack took place between September 2011 and May 2014. During this period, Alexey Bilyuchenko and Aleksandr Verner had managed to take the control of a crypto exchange server. Thus advantaged, they gradually transferred BTC to their wallets.
Once rich about $650,000, or $16 trillion, the duo tried to launder their assets. For this, the two tried to sell bitcoins through a controlled exchange. There was also an agreement with a New York brokerage firm.
A relationship with BTC-e
Also, prosecutors mentioned a relationship between the MT hackers. Gox and BTC-e. It seems that they used this crypto exchange as “Exchange-1”. But the FBI shut down BTC-e in 2017 after liquidating the majority of ill-gotten cryptocurrencies on the platform.
They also arrested BTC-e founder Alexander Vinnik.
” As cybercriminals have become more sophisticated in their method of theft, our career prosecutors and law enforcement partners have also become experts in the latest technologies used for malicious purposes. “Says District Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York.
Hopefully the DOJ can one day get their hands on the other hackers who looted unfortunate BTC holders from Atomic Wallet.
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