The film explores the psyche behind a crypto hustler tied to the Bitfinex hack.
Amazon's MGM Studios has begun early development on a feature film dramatizing the story behind the 2016 Bitfinex exchange hack and subsequent laundering of the stolen bitcoin, according to a report by Deadline.
The movie, titled "Razzlekhan," will focus on Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan's role in obscuring the movement of 94,643 Bitcoins linked to the hack valued at over $3 billion at the time of their dramatic 2022 arrest. The script adapts a 2022 New York Times article that referred to the couple as "Bitcoin's Bonnie and Clyde" for their exploits.
The hack itself occurred in August 2016 when cybercriminals breached Hong Kong-based Bitfinex and made off with nearly 120,000 Bitcoins worth about $54 million at the time. The stolen crypto laid low for years until federal investigators uncovered its circuitous path through a maze of accounts and platforms.
Both Lichtenstein and Morgan ultimately struck plea deals in August 2023 centered on money laundering conspiracy charges tied to the Bitfinex hack and other cyber theft.
While glamorized depictions of criminality often draw criticism, Razzlekhan's filmmakers may attempt to balance such concerns with portraying the lasting harm caused by the Bitfinex attack to both investors and the industry alike.
