Stolen $3bn Bitcoin mystery ends with popcorn tin discovery
The US Department of Justice has revealed it seized $3.36bn (£2.9bn) of Bitcoin last year which was stolen from an infamous darknet website.
The stash of 50,676 Bitcoin was found hidden on various devices in a hacker’s home in an underfloor safe and inside a popcorn tin.
James Zhong has pleaded guilty to hacking the funds in 2012 from the illegal Silk Road marketplace.
US authorities say the seizure is the second largest in history.
It came at the same time as Bitcoin’s value peaked – the seized funds would now be worth about $1.1bn.
Police say Mr Zhong was able to steal the funds from the Silk Road by exploiting a flaw in the website’s payment system.
In September 2012, he set up several accounts on the darknet marketplace and deposited a small amount of Bitcoin into his digital wallets. He then found a way to withdraw far larger amounts rapidly so as not to raise suspicion.
Silk Road was the first darknet marketplace, which operated from approximately 2011 until 2013. It was used by drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute massive quantities of illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services to many buyers.
The darknet is a part of the internet that can only be accessed using specialist software.
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