The $4.5 billion Bitcoin heist, with a side of bad rap

Updated Dec. 9, 2024, 7:01 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Netflix just dropped a thrilling must-watch documentary on the biggest cryptocurrency heist in history, and it’s straight out of a spy movie.

Netflix's Biggest Heist Ever — @Decider / Twitter

Imagine waking up one day, checking your Bitcoin wallet and seeing BILLIONS. Life-changing right? Well, this new Netflix documentary explores the story of a couple who managed to “make” billions by pulling off the biggest digital heist ever. You might wanna buckle up for this one because it's Ocean's Eleven meets Black Mirror, with a pinch of Tiger King chaos.

Netflix’s latest documentary film, Biggest Heist Ever, delves into the mind-blowing story of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, a seemingly ordinary couple who committed one of the biggest financial crimes in modern history.

Check out the official trailer below:

Back in 2016, hackers breached a cryptocurrency exchange and made off with 120,000 Bitcoin. (Yes, that’s billions with a B). For years, the crime went unsolved, largely because tracing cryptocurrency is notoriously difficult. However, in 2022, investigators uncovered an unexpected connection to the case: a bizarre couple living in New York City.

Enter Ilya and Heather. They weren’t your typical criminal masterminds. Ilya was a tech entrepreneur with a knack for coding, while Heather was an influencer who called herself the “Crocodile of Wall Street”. Together, they held the key to a billion-dollar fortune, and yet they behaved… well, like amateurs with access to a goldmine.

Unlike Bonnie and Clyde, Ilya and Heather did not fit Hollywood's image of a criminal power couple. While others would have kept a low profile, Heather became an internet sensation by making some of the cringiest rap videos you’ll ever see. Spoiler alert: her rap career didn’t take off.

Meanwhile, Ilya spent most of his time attempting to move the stolen Bitcoin around through various complicated transactions. Unfortunately, their attempts to cover their tracks resembled primary school science projects more than the genius hacker moves you might see in a movie montage.

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The documentary shows us just how bizarre their story gets and trust me, it’s the perfect mix of comedy and tragedy that’ll make you question whether it’s real or not. Yet, it doesn’t get any more real than this.

At first, it seemed like the couple had pulled it off, but they underestimated the power of blockchain technology. If you aren’t familiar with cryptocurrency, blockchain is essentially a public ledger that records and stores every cryptocurrency transaction. It's like a permanent diary that can never be erased.

The documentary takes us through the rigorous detective work involved in tracing the stolen funds. It covers everything from tracking mysterious Bitcoin wallets and investigating Heather’s absurd rap alter ego to decrypting Ilya’s not-so-secure files.

Biggest Heist Ever is a cautionary tale of how greed and lack of common sense can bring down even the most complex schemes. It’s filled with moments that will leave you asking, “How did they ever think this would work?”

Forget the old-school diamond heists and bank robberies. If you’re into true crime, technology and espionage, this documentary is something straight out of your wildest dreams. It’s the perfect blend of suspense, humour and stupidity.

So grab your snacks, fire up Netflix, and get ready to be amazed and entertained by this iconic criminal duo. Despite the seriousness of the situation, it's hard not to laugh.

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