The actual-life story of an American couple accused of laundering billions of {dollars} price of Bitcoin stolen from the 2016 hacking of Bitfinex is about to hit the large display, with Amazon and MGM Studios collaborating on the manufacturing.

The movie, titled “Razzlekhan,” attracts inspiration from a 2022 article in The New York Occasions and will probably be directed by Hannah Marks, recognized for her work on “Don’t Make Me Go” within the anticipated Amazon manufacturing.

Amazon To Adapt True Story Of Bitcoin Heist

In keeping with a Deadline report, the Amazon-backed manufacturing movie will revolve across the true story of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, a millennial couple who masterminded the theft of over $3 billion in cryptocurrency.

Ultimately apprehended by the Division of Justice (DOJ), the couple’s legal actions kind the premise of the movie’s narrative. The title “Razzlekhan” derives from the rapper stage title utilized by Morgan, who, together with Lichtenstein, confronted conspiracy fees to launder the stolen Bitcoin in February 2022, as disclosed by the FBI.

In August 2023, Bitcoinist reported that each Lichtenstein and Morgan, with the latter generally known as the “Crocodile of Wall Street,” pleaded responsible to the cash laundering conspiracy fees introduced in opposition to them by the DOJ.

The couple admitted to laundering the proceeds from the hack, which concerned roughly 120,000 BTC stolen from the Bitfinex cryptocurrency alternate.

Following their arrest in February 2022, authorities seized over 95,000 of the stolen Bitcoins, valued at practically $3.6 billion. This marked the most important seizure within the company’s historical past.

Subsequently, the DOJ recognized and recovered an extra $475 million price of cryptocurrency stolen within the hack, attracting the eye of MGM and Amazon to work collectively to convey the story to the large display.

Bitfinex Hacker Faces Most Penalty

Court docket paperwork revealed that Lichtenstein orchestrated the hack in 2016, using “sophisticated” hacking tools and methods to realize unauthorized entry to Bitfinex’s community.

Lichtenstein executed over 2,000 transactions via fraudulent authorization, transferring 119,754 BTC to his crypto pockets. To cowl his tracks, Lichtenstein tampered with Bitfinex’s system, deleting entry credentials, log information, and different digital proof that might hyperlink him to the crime.

On the time of the Bitfinex hack, Bitcoin traded under $1,000. Nevertheless, its worth had surged to round $44,000 by the point the couple was arrested in 2022, which elevated the value of the stolen tokens to roughly $4.5 billion.

Ilya Lichtenstein faces a most penalty of 20 years in jail for conspiracy to commit cash laundering, whereas Heather Morgan, after pleading responsible to 1 depend of cash laundering conspiracy and one other depend of conspiracy to defraud the US, may resist 5 years of imprisonment.

The discharge date of the extremely anticipated movie, produced by trade giants Amazon and MGM, is but to be introduced.