IRS Bitcoin-Seizing MacBook Joins Smithsonian Exhibit

The Department of Justice previously hailed the recovery as its “largest financial seizure ever.” Now, the laptop has been installed in the Smithsonian’s “The Value of Money” gallery, alongside historical artifacts like seashells, tea, stones, and gold, representing pivotal moments in the evolution of money.

Ellen Feingold, curator of the National Numismatic Collection, explained that the MacBook reflects a turning point in public understanding of Bitcoin. “Contextualized within the diversity of forms of money over the last four millennia, the laptop and the cryptocurrency it represents look less like a radical departure and more like a continuation of humanity redefining value,” she wrote in Smithsonian Magazine.

The Bitfinex Hack and Its Fallout

The laptop was instrumental in unraveling one of the largest crypto heists in history. In 2016, Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan—dubbed “Bitcoin’s Bonnie and Clyde”—stole 119,000 BTC from Bitfinex, worth $71 million at the time. Today, the value exceeds $3.6 billion.

Despite early myths of Bitcoin’s anonymity, IRS special agent Chris Janczewski used blockchain analysis tools on the MacBook to trace the stolen funds. By following the trail to various exchanges, investigators identified the perpetrators. Searches of their homes uncovered private keys to wallets holding the bulk of the stolen Bitcoin.

Morgan, also known for her rap persona “Razzlekhan,” was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Monday for helping Lichtenstein launder the stolen BTC. Lichtenstein received a five-year sentence last week.

Rethinking Bitcoin’s Role

The Bitfinex case has reshaped public perceptions of cryptocurrency. Once seen as anonymous, the case demonstrated that Bitcoin operates as a pseudo-anonymous asset, where transactions can be tracked on the blockchain.

Feingold highlighted this shift in understanding: “Most people can still use cryptocurrency for transactions without involving banks or family members, but criminals can no longer rely on it to shield them from prosecution.”

The laptop’s inclusion in the Smithsonian serves as a reminder of Bitcoin’s dual nature: a revolutionary tool for value exchange and a technology that demands accountability.

Razzlekhan’s Infamy

The case also captured public fascination due to Heather Morgan’s surreal career as “Razzlekhan,” a self-described “Wall Street crocodile” and internet rapper. Her bizarre lyrics and persona, combined with the scale of the heist, earned the couple notoriety.

Their story is already being adapted into documentaries by major streaming platforms, promising to explore the infamous hack, the couple’s antics, and their downfall.