Razzlekhan & The Hacker: Crypto’s Most Chaos-Inducing Couple is Back on the Streets
Ilya Lichtenstein is out of prison years early, thanking Donald Trump for the assist. The Bitfinex saga just got its weirdest chapter yet.
Just when you thought the timeline couldn't get any stranger, the masterminds behind the biggest financial seizure in history are officially reunited.
Ilya Lichtenstein, the tech entrepreneur who confessed to the 2016 Bitfinex hack that siphoned off nearly 120,000 Bitcoin, has been released from federal prison. He served just over a year of his five-year sentence. And in a move that feels scripted for a Netflix docu-drama, his first public comments weren’t an apology to the crypto community—they were a "thank you" to the 47th President.
Here is the lowdown on the sudden release, the political twist, and what it means now that the "Crocodile of Wall Street" and her hacker husband are back in the wild.
The "Trump Bump" for Prison Time
Lichtenstein’s release caught everyone off guard. Sentenced in late 2024 to five years for money laundering conspiracy, most expected him to be behind bars until at least 2028.
Instead, he walked free this week, barely 14 months into his term.
While speculation immediately jumped to a presidential pardon—especially with Trump’s recent leniency toward other crypto figures—Lichtenstein clarified the situation himself on X (formerly Twitter). He credited the First Step Act, a bipartisan prison reform bill signed by Trump in 2018. The act allows non-violent federal prisoners to drastically reduce their sentences through "good time credits" earned by participating in rehabilitation programs.
In short: He didn't get a pardon; he got a relentless optimization of the prison system.
The Reunion
Lichtenstein is now back home with his wife and co-conspirator, Heather "Razzlekhan" Morgan.
Morgan, who became an internet sensation for her surrealist rap videos and self-proclaimed title as the "Crocodile of Wall Street," was released in October 2025 after serving an eight-month stint. She wasted no time posting a reunion photo, calling his return "the best New Year's present."
For those who followed the case, seeing them together again is surreal. This is the couple that lived a double life for years—him as a quiet tech founder, her as a loud, eccentric influencer—while sitting on a mountain of stolen Bitcoin that ballooned in value to over $4.5 billion.
From Black Hat to White Hat?
So, what does a genius hacker do after pulling off the heist of the century and serving his time?
According to his recent posts, Lichtenstein plans to pivot to "White Hat" security work. He claims he wants to use his skills to fix the kind of vulnerabilities he once exploited. It’s a common redemption arc in the hacker world, but whether the cybersecurity industry will trust the man who held the keys to billions in stolen crypto is another question entirely.
The Bottom Line
The legal saga of the Bitfinex hack is effectively over. The government seized the funds, the hackers served their (surprisingly short) time, and the books are closed.
But culturally, the legend of Ilya and Razzlekhan is just entering its second act. They are young, free, and retain a massive amount of notoriety. Whether they fade into obscurity or launch the wildest consulting firm in crypto history remains to be seen.
One thing is for sure: The most chaotic duo in crypto is online again. Proceed with caution.
Key Details
Who: Ilya Lichtenstein (Bitfinex Hacker) & Heather Morgan (Razzlekhan).
What: Lichtenstein released after ~14 months of a 5-year sentence.
Why: Earned "good time credits" via the First Step Act (not a pardon).
Status: Both are now free and reunited in New York.
