FBI Subpoenas Bitcoin CoreDev Attendees in $3.6 Million Theft Probe

The FBI has investigated a $3.6 million Bitcoin theft by subpoenaing information from the 2022 Bitcoin CoreDev gathering. The investigation aims to determine potential involvement of attendees in the theft suffered by developer Luke Dashjr. The FBI requested attendees' GitHub usernames, names, and emails, but the investigation's specifics remain confidential.

FBI Subpoenas Bitcoin CoreDev Attendees for $3.6 Million Theft Investigation

Washington, D.C. - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently issued a subpoena to obtain details of attendees at the 2022 Bitcoin Core Developer Meeting (CoreDev) as part of an ongoing investigation into the theft of $3.6 million worth of Bitcoin (BTC) from developer Luke Dashjr.

The subpoena was revealed by Mike Schmidt, an executive at Brink, a non-profit organization that provides financial support to open-source developers. Schmidt informed participants of the meeting in an email that he was legally obligated to comply with the FBI's request.

According to Schmidt, the FBI initially sought a wide range of information, including social media handles, physical addresses, and financial records. However, after negotiations, the parties agreed to limit the disclosure to participants' GitHub usernames, first and last names, and email addresses.

Schmidt emphasized that he was merely fulfilling his legal obligation by notifying the attendees and had no further knowledge of the investigation's details. He expressed regret for any breach of privacy caused by the subpoena.

The FBI's investigation stems from Dashjr's public disclosure on January 1, 2023, that he had fallen victim to a major theft. Dashjr initially stated that "at least many" of his Bitcoins had been stolen, later confirming that "it's basically all gone."

In response to the incident, Binance co-founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao pledged support and committed to freezing the stolen tokens if they were transferred to the exchange.

Dashjr's stolen Bitcoin originated from both hot and cold wallets. Hot wallets are connected to the internet, while cold wallets are physically stored devices designed to be immune to online attacks. This suggests that the perpetrators may have gained physical access to Dashjr's devices, possibly during the 2022 CoreDev gathering.

While the investigation is ongoing, the incident highlights the potential vulnerabilities of hardware wallets, which have previously been considered relatively secure. It remains to be seen whether the FBI's investigation will uncover any involvement by attendees of the CoreDev meeting in the theft.