Bitfinex hacker Ilya Lichtenstein credits Trump for his early release from prison

Ilya Lichtenstein, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges linked to his role in the massive hack of cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, appears to have been released early from prison.

In a post Thursday evening on Channel X, Lichtenstein said he got out early “thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act” (the prison reform bill passed during Trump’s first term).

“I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as quickly as possible,” Lichtenstein said. “To the fans, thank you for everything. And to the haters, I look forward to proving you wrong.”

The Department of Justice arrested Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather Morgan, in 2022 and seized $3.6 billion worth of bitcoins stolen from the Bitfinex platform. The pair became infamous after their arrest and were featured in a Netflix documentary called “The Biggest Heist Ever.”

Lichtenstein eventually admitted his role in the hack and was sentenced to five years in prison.

It is not clear whether the Trump administration played a direct role in their release. A department official told CNBC that Lichtenstein “has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement consistent with the law and Bureau of Prisons policies.”