Uncovering a $40 Million Crypto Heist: The Inside Story
In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, a significant breach has been uncovered by renowned blockchain investigator ZachXBT, shedding light on a theft involving over $40 million from the U.S. government’s crypto reserves. Amidst rising concerns, the White House is actively probing the matter, although it’s yet to disclose whether its Bitcoin assets were impacted.
The Art of Crypto Theft: How Over $40 Million Was Stolen
An intriguing post by ZachXBT on platform X has unraveled the identity of the mastermind behind this audacious crypto heist. John Daghita, who also goes by the alias ‘Lick’, exploited his inside access to pilfer funds from the U.S. government’s seized crypto addresses. His father, the owner of Command Services & Support (CMDSS), had a governmental IT contract to manage and dispose of seized crypto assets, inadvertently facilitating John’s access. The exact means by which John exploited this connection remain shrouded in mystery.
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Following ZachXBT’s exposure, CMDSS’s online presence, including its website and LinkedIn profiles, was swiftly deactivated. The crypto investigator initially spotlighted John’s activities when he brazenly flaunted $23 million in his digital wallet in a previous post. This wallet was linked to a slew of suspected thefts, totaling over $90 million, from the U.S. government and other undisclosed victims between 2024 and 2025. The revelation emerged from a heated debate in a group chat with fellow threat actor Dritan Kapplani Jr.
Tracing the Origins of the Stolen Funds
Delving deeper, ZachXBT traced the source of John’s ill-gotten gains to a wallet (0xc7a2) that received a staggering $24.9 million from a U.S. government address in March 2024, tied to the notorious Bitfinex hack seizure. Additionally, John’s wallet (0xd8bc), which he flaunted during his altercation with Dritan, was linked to a further $63 million in inflows from suspected victims and government seizure addresses in late 2024.
In response to ZachXBT’s revelations, John rapidly erased all NFT-related usernames from his Telegram and altered his screen name. The investigator identified John as John Daghita amidst circulating rumors, yet his previous arrest in September 2025 remains shrouded in ambiguity.
Assessing the Risk to U.S. Government’s Bitcoin Holdings
Patrick Witt, a White House advisor on cryptocurrency, took to platform X to assure the public that an investigation is underway, promising updates soon. This incident is particularly pivotal, given that former U.S. President Donald Trump had signed an executive order to allocate all government-held Bitcoin to a Strategic BTC Reserve.
It appears that John executed part of this theft after the executive order was signed, with some events unfolding during President Biden’s administration. While the exact amount of Bitcoin held by the government remains undisclosed, BiTBo data indicates a holding of approximately 198,012 BTC.
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