The US Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it has arrested two people and seized more than $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency linked to the 2016 Bitfinex hack.

The department said Ilia Liechtenstein and his wife, Heather Morgan, were arrested in New York City.

The two were accused of a plot to launder cryptocurrency stolen during the 2016 hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange.


"Today's arrests revealed the largest financial confiscation ever undertaken by the ministry," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, adding that "cryptocurrency is not a safe haven for criminals."

It is noteworthy that the Bitfinex platform is a cryptocurrency exchange owned and operated by Ifinex Inc., registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Its clients' money has been stolen or lost in many accidents.