#blockchain #bitcoin https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-retrieves-millions-paid-to-colonial-pipeline-hackers-11623094399
I suppose they need to get the private key for the wallet. Possibly they found the key or forced the perps to give up the key.
They used the blockchain to trace where the bitcoins went after the ransom was paid until it reached Coinbase. Then they got a seizure warrant and Coinbase gave it to them.
Just a sidenote. Anyone claiming that BTC is a criminal currency has no idea about BTC. This is the most traceable currency out there. You won't know the owner but you will know if any specific Bitcoin was involved in any questionable transaction. I can easily imagine a central repository (a ledger!) which can track any coin obtained through transaction marked as 'criminal'.
Criminals are too dumb to realize that, but this case will get them back to reality.
One of the payment servers was hosted on a hacked server. The hacked server was hosted in California. This allowed the law enforcement to gain legal access to the server and retrieve the private key. Nothing too fancy. The hacker group was just too careless to use a server on US soil.
Doesn’t matter - Uncle Sam has loooooonnnnggg hands and will reach into anyone’s pockets.
Steal the secret 🗝️