LEO Price Soars As Bitfinex Could Soon Reclaim BTC From 2016 Hack

As a seasoned researcher who has been closely monitoring the crypto market for years, I can confidently say that these recent developments in the Bitfinex case have sent ripples of excitement throughout the crypto community. The LEO price surge and the potential Bitcoin recovery are indeed intriguing, as they could potentially reshape the landscape of the digital currency world.


The price of LEO has risen after the U.S. government stated that Bitfinex is the only qualified recipient for reimbursement related to the 2016 Bitcoin heist on their platform. This development has positively impacted LEO, given its significance within Bitfinex’s crypto marketplace.

LEO Price Surges Amid Potential Bitcoin Recovery For Bitfinex

The price of LEO climbed up to $6.50, hitting a monthly peak, after a U.S. government filing hinted that Bitfinex might regain some of the Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 hack. Court documents reveal that the government has no knowledge of any individual who fits the criteria as a victim under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act or the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act (MVRA) except for the cryptocurrency exchange itself.

In a recent court document related to the case against Ilya Lichtenstein, who was apprehended for suspected bitcoin laundering following the Bitfinex hack, the government has confiscated approximately 94,643 BTC from Lichtenstein. This seizure could potentially allow the crypto exchange to recover some of these bitcoins, currently valued at roughly $5.8 billion.

Previously, I’ve encountered instances where a cryptocurrency exchange, including myself, has received funds recovered by US authorities. In 2023, it was announced that we had received an amount of $312,219.71 in cash and 6.917 BCH from the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of their recovery efforts.

As the crypto exchange recovers these bitcoins from the U.S. government, questions may arise about how this action might impact BTC prices and what the exchange plans to do with those recovered coins. It is expected that the exchange will employ the recovered funds to redeem Recovery Right Tokens (RRTs) issued after the 2016 security breach.

US Government Could Soon Sell 69,370 BTC Following Court Order

Amid the news that the US government may soon auction 69,370 Bitcoins due to the Supreme Court’s denial of a petition in the Battle Born Investments case, there has been a noticeable increase in LEO prices and speculation about Bitcoin recovering on Bitfinex. This potential sale could potentially have a substantial effect on the Bitcoin market, given the large number of Bitcoin tokens involved.

It’s been reported by CoinGape that Michael Saylor, MicroStrategy’s chairman, might acquire 69,370 BTC if the U.S. government chooses to sell them. Nevertheless, at this point in time, it seems improbable that the government will offload these coins due to ongoing procedures required before the U.S. Marshals or any other agency can do so.

In the meantime, it might take some time until Bitfinex can recover the bitcoins the U.S. government confiscated from Ilya Lichtenstein. Nevertheless, the U.S. government acknowledging Bitfinex as eligible for compensation is certainly a positive move.

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2024-10-09 21:18