DOJ 规定 Bitfinex 将收回 2016 年黑客攻击后扣押的 12B 美元比特币

此举是在经过多年的法律争论和调查之后做出的，最终导致美国司法部 (DOJ) 称其为历史上最大规模的资产扣押。

A federal court has ruled that more than 94,000 Bitcoin, seized in connection with the high-profile 2016 hack of cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, must be returned to the platform.

联邦法院裁定，因 2016 年备受瞩目的加密货币交易所 Bitfinex 黑客事件而被扣押的超过 94,000 枚比特币必须归还给该平台。

The move comes after years of legal wrangling and investigation, culminating in what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has called the largest asset seizure in its history.

此举是在经过多年的法律争论和调查之后做出的，最终导致美国司法部 (DOJ) 称其为历史上最大规模的资产扣押。

The 2016 breach saw hackers divert nearly 120,000 Bitcoin—worth approximately $71 million at the time—away from the Hong Kong-based exchange. Today, those coins are valued at close to $12 billion, owing to Bitcoin’s surging price. Roughly $9 billion of the stolen cryptocurrency has been recovered, according to Tuesday’s court filing.

在 2016 年的黑客攻击事件中，黑客从这家香港交易所转移了近 12 万枚比特币（当时价值约 7100 万美元）。如今，由于比特币价格飙升，这些代币的价值接近 120 亿美元。根据周二的法庭文件，大约 90 亿美元的被盗加密货币已被追回。

In the filing, DOJ officials stated that Bitfinex, rather than its customers, qualifies for the return of the seized assets. The government’s position drew from its conclusion that there are no identifiable “victims” under relevant U.S. law for the particular offenses of conviction—money laundering and conspiracy—since the statute of limitations for the hack itself had expired.

美国司法部官员在文件中表示，有资格返还被扣押资产的是 Bitfinex，而不是其客户。政府的立场源自其结论：由于黑客行为本身的诉讼时效已过，因此根据美国相关法律，对于洗钱和共谋等特定犯罪行为，不存在可识别的“受害者”。

The filing reads, “For the foregoing reasons, there is no ‘victim’ for the specific offenses of conviction in this proceeding,” and further cites “the complexity of the laundering transactions” as a reason that not all stolen coins could be recovered.

该文件写道，“由于上述原因，本次诉讼中的具体定罪罪行不存在‘受害者’”，并进一步引用“洗钱交易的复杂性”作为并非所有被盗硬币都能被追回的原因。

Laundering Scheme and Arrests

洗钱计划和逮捕

Tuesday’s ruling also sheds new light on the involvement of Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and his wife, rapper Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan, who pleaded guilty last year to laundering funds from the Bitfinex heist. Lichtenstein admitted to orchestrating the hack itself and is serving a 60-month prison sentence for his role.

周二的裁决还为 Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein 和他的妻子、说唱歌手 Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan 的参与提供了新的线索，后者去年承认在 Bitfinex 抢劫案中洗钱。利希滕斯坦承认自己策划了这次黑客攻击，目前正在服 60 个月的监禁。

Morgan, best known by her rap persona “Razzlekhan,” was sentenced to 18 months for conspiring to launder the stolen Bitcoin. The DOJ has credited both individuals’ cooperation with helping recover a significant portion of the funds.

摩根因她的说唱角色“Razzlekhan”而闻名，因密谋洗钱被盗比特币而被判处 18 个月监禁。美国司法部称赞两人的合作帮助追回了很大一部分资金。

Though Morgan’s prison term begins this month, the self-styled entrepreneur has continued her musical pursuits. She recently released a track and video titled “Razzlekhan vs. The United States,” which she described in a statement as a “misfits’ anthem.”

尽管摩根的刑期将于本月开始，但这位自封的企业家仍在继续她的音乐追求。她最近发布了一首名为“Razzlekhan vs. United States”的曲目和视频，她在一份声明中将其描述为“不合时宜的赞歌”。

Morgan has stated the song is based on her experiences stemming from the case: “The track is about fighting the odds and standing up for misfits like me,” she said.

摩根表示，这首歌是根据她在该案中的经历创作的：“这首歌是关于与困难作斗争并为像我这样的不适应环境的人挺身而出的，”她说。

Impact on Bitfinex Customers

对 Bitfinex 客户的影响

Following the breach in 2016, Bitfinex “generalized” the losses across all customer accounts, effectively reducing each holder’s balance by 36%. The exchange provided BFX tokens—later supplemented by Recovery Right Tokens (RRT)—as compensation, allowing customers to redeem them for cash or potentially convert them into shares in parent company iFinex.

在 2016 年发生违规事件后，Bitfinex 将损失“概括”到所有客户账户，有效地将每个持有人的余额减少了 36%。该交易所提供了 BFX 代币（后来辅以恢复权代币（RRT））作为补偿，允许客户将其兑换为现金或可能将其转换为母公司 iFinex 的股票。

Bitfinex maintains that most customers have been “made whole,” but some account holders dispute this claim, especially since the subsequent rise in Bitcoin’s price far exceeded the value of the tokens.

Bitfinex 坚称大多数客户已“恢复健康”，但一些账户持有人对这一说法提出异议，特别是因为随后比特币价格的上涨远远超过了代币的价值。

Now, with the court ordering the return of 94,643 Bitcoin to Bitfinex, questions over who is entitled to a share of the recovered assets have reignited. The DOJ has set up a website to gather statements from those who believe they qualify as victims, and third parties have until January 28, 2025, to file objections or assert a claim.

现在，随着法院下令将 94,643 比特币返还给 Bitfinex，关于谁有权分享所追回资产的问题再次引发争议。美国司法部建立了一个网站，收集那些认为自己有资格成为受害者的人的声明，第三方可以在 2025 年 1 月 28 日之前提出异议或提出索赔。

Legal observers suggest the restitution hearing—scheduled for February 25, 2025—could set a precedent for how courts address victim status in cryptocurrency theft cases.

法律观察人士表示，定于 2025 年 2 月 25 日举行的归还听证会可以为法院如何处理加密货币盗窃案件中的受害者身份问题树立先例。

The Bitcoin must be returned to Bitfinex, Source: X

比特币必须归还给 Bitfinex，来源：X

Future Proceedings

未来诉讼程序

In addition to the primary sum earmarked for Bitfinex, authorities noted that a “third-party ancillary forfeiture proceeding” is in place to manage crypto that remains unrecovered or linked to money laundering activities. The government’s stance holds that any remaining laundered assets must be dealt with separately, allowing those who wish to stake a claim—such as certain Bitfinex customers—to argue their case in court.

除了指定用于 Bitfinex 的主要资金外，当局还指出，还设立了“第三方辅助没收程序”来管理尚未追回或与洗钱活动有关的加密货币。政府的立场是，任何剩余的洗钱资产都必须单独处理，允许那些希望提出索赔的人（例如某些 Bitfinex 客户）在法庭上辩论。

Bitfinex has reaffirmed its commitment to allocating any recovered funds to redeem the remaining RRT tokens, stating it is the “sole victim” of the 2016 hack for legal purposes. “We have always believed recovery of the stolen Bitcoin was possible,” a company representative said. “We will continue working diligently to distribute recovered assets in an equitable manner.”

Bitfinex 重申其承诺将分配所有追回的资金来赎回剩余的 RRT 代币，并表示它是 2016 年出于法律目的的黑客攻击的“唯一受害者”。 “我们一直相信追回被盗的比特币是可能的，”一位公司代表表示。 “我们将继续努力以公平的方式分配追回的资产。”

Observers say the forthcoming restitution hearing will be crucial. If the court sides fully with Bitfinex and grants it sole ownership of the returned Bitcoin, it could mean limited recourse for account holders who saw their balances cut nearly a decade ago.

观察人士表示，即将举行的归还听证会至关重要。如果法院完全站在 Bitfinex 一边，并授予其对退回的比特币的唯一所有权，这可能意味着近十年前余额被削减的账户持有人的追索权有限。

The El Salvador Connection

萨尔瓦多的联系

Tether and Bitfinex Chief Executive Paolo Ardoino is yet to comment on the proposed return of the bitcoin. However, he told Reuters this week that Te

Tether 和 Bitfinex 首席执行官 Paolo Ardoino 尚未对比特币返还的提议发表评论。然而，他本周告诉路透社，