6 ms·

The press release specifically mentions that the cryptocurrency was seized through FBI having posession of the private key.

lhorie 5y ago
It's not an either/or thing though, right? IMHO, it seems plausible for the FBI to get a private key from a cooperating exchange?
ulzeraj 5y ago
Did the crackers surrendered the private keys? And if so why was a warrant issued? https://www.elliptic.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202021-06-07%20at%2022.13.19.png?width=1188&height=620&name=Screenshot%202021-06-07%20at%2022.13.19.png https://www.elliptic.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202021-06-07%...
SavantIdiot 5y ago
To the previous poster's point: it didn't say which private key. There can be multiple with cloud storage.
sneak 5y ago
As someone who has been on the receiving end of federal seizure orders for cryptocurrency private keys, they were in my case satisfied by publishing a transfer (signature) to a USG address, not actual disclosure of private key material, despite that being explicitly stated in the order.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  This indicates a level of US Fed LEO technical sophistication I’m somewhat pleased to hear exists.
  - sneak 5y ago
    Either that or they just approached it like a bank account and simply wanted the money and didn’t care about the cryptographic specifics whatsoever.
  - acruns 5y ago
    More likely their work with an outside consultant/firm.
  - walrus01 5y ago
    I have heard that they have been developing an in-house technical capability and department for this since at least the time period of the Ulbrich arrest and the "first" Silk Road.
- csomar 5y ago
  What's a USG address?
  - belltaco 5y ago
    USG =US Govt.
psychlops 5y ago
From the press release, the scare quotes could mean anything, but they likely had the rough equivalent part: for which the FBI has the “private key,” or the rough equivalent of a password needed to access assets accessible from the specific Bitcoin address.

lhorie 5y ago

It's not an either/or thing though, right? IMHO, it seems plausible for the FBI to get a private key from a cooperating exchange?

ulzeraj 5y ago

Did the crackers surrendered the private keys? And if so why was a warrant issued? https://www.elliptic.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202021-06-07%20at%2022.13.19.png?width=1188&height=620&name=Screenshot%202021-06-07%20at%2022.13.19.png https://www.elliptic.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202021-06-07%...

SavantIdiot 5y ago

To the previous poster's point: it didn't say which private key. There can be multiple with cloud storage.

sneak 5y ago

As someone who has been on the receiving end of federal seizure orders for cryptocurrency private keys, they were in my case satisfied by publishing a transfer (signature) to a USG address, not actual disclosure of private key material, despite that being explicitly stated in the order.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
This indicates a level of US Fed LEO technical sophistication I’m somewhat pleased to hear exists.
- sneak 5y ago
  Either that or they just approached it like a bank account and simply wanted the money and didn’t care about the cryptographic specifics whatsoever.
- acruns 5y ago
  More likely their work with an outside consultant/firm.
- walrus01 5y ago
  I have heard that they have been developing an in-house technical capability and department for this since at least the time period of the Ulbrich arrest and the "first" Silk Road.
csomar 5y ago
What's a USG address?
- belltaco 5y ago
  USG =US Govt.

psychlops 5y ago

From the press release, the scare quotes could mean anything, but they likely had the rough equivalent part: for which the FBI has the “private key,” or the rough equivalent of a password needed to access assets accessible from the specific Bitcoin address.