The Bitfinex hack of 2016 remains one of crypto's most notorious cases. Ilya Lichtenstein was caught laundering nearly 120,000 BTC—worth over $10.8 billion at current valuations. He received a 5-year sentence, yet only served 14 months before release.

This case highlights something that keeps the community talking: how crypto-related crimes seem to operate under a different set of rules. The disparity between the sentence length and actual time served raises questions about enforcement consistency and how seriously the justice system treats digital asset theft compared to traditional financial crimes. It's a reality check for anyone thinking the ecosystem operates in a legal vacuum.