FTX’s Mysterious Hacker Reaches for the Bitcoin

As the trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried escalates, the plot thickens with our elusive hacker resurfacing to perform villainous deeds. Yes, you heard it right! This shady character has decided to shake off the dust of a long slumber and dive back into the blockchain game. According to a report from the analytics wizards at Elliptic, the hacker has awakened approximately 72,500 Ether (ETH) from its hibernation since the infamous hack in November 2022. Talk about a comeback!

The Money Shuffle Begins

With the finesse of a seasoned magician, the hacker converted an eye-popping $120 million worth of ETH into Bitcoin (BTC) using the multichain decentralized exchange known as THORSwap. The timing? Just as the courtroom drama kicked off on October 3, 2023! It’s almost like the hacker wanted a front-row seat to the theatrics—or perhaps distract from them!

A Game of Cat and Mouse

This isn’t the first time this hacker has played a game of financial hide-and-seek. They previously transferred a whopping 65,000 ETH ($100 million) into BTC using another sneaky tool called RenBridge. Meanwhile, THORSwap decided to stop the music on October 6 to find a way to toss out the party crashers like our notorious hacker. Should have called it sooner, eh?

Who Is This Masked Bandit?

Almost a year after the FTX hack, the true identity of our Linux-loving bandit remains shrouded in mystery. Is it an inside job? Could it be North Korea’s Lazarus Group? Or perhaps a collective of gadget-loving Russian criminals? Elliptic floated some ideas, mentioning that “Some FTX employees would have had access to the business’s crypto assets”. And in the chaotic aftermath of bankruptcy, who knows what could happen? Let’s just say trust, but verify!

But Wait, There’s More!

After the initial hack, our intrepid thief lost approximately $94 million trying to launder funds through a buffet of decentralized exchanges and mixers, reminiscent of a bad heist movie where the rogue just can’t seem to find their groove. We can only sit back and hope that this digital saga leads to justice—possibly before our hacker decides to have another identity crisis.