News linked to both this project and an event.
on-chain detective ZachXBT has exposed US threat actor Dritan Kapllani Jr., alleging his involvement in social engineering thefts targeting crypto users, totaling approximately $19 million.ZachXBT stated that Dritan has long been flaunting luxury cars,名牌 watches, private jets, and nightclub lifestyles on social media. On April 23, 2026, during a "Band 4 Band (B4B)" voice call on Discord, in an attempt to prove he was wealthier than another hacker, he publicly displayed an Exodus wallet containing $3.68 million in assets.The relevant ETH address is: 0x4487db847db2fc99372a985743a26f46e0b2bba6ZachXBT's tracking revealed that this address is linked to a social engineering theft incident on March 14, 2026, involving 185 BTC (approximately $13 million). The following day, Dritan's Exodus wallet received about $5.3 million from that theft. By the time of the B4B call six weeks later, approximately $1.6 million had already been spent or laundered.On May 11, the US Department of Justice unsealed a criminal indictment against Trenton Johnson, charging him with participation in the theft of 185 BTC. He faces a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The indictment refers to "Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1)," believed to be Dritan, who has not yet been formally charged.ZachXBT also noted that Dritan is connected to hacker John Daghita (Lick), who was previously arrested for stealing $46 million from the US government. John had previously exposed Dritan's old wallet address on Telegram. On-chain analysis shows that this address is linked to multiple high-confidence social engineering thefts in 2025, with a cumulative total exceeding $5.85 million.ZachXBT stated that Dritan has long been active in the "The Com" hacker circle and had seemingly avoided formal prosecution due to being a minor. Now that he has turned 18, his "borrowed time may finally be over."
According to a Reuters investigation, Nobitex—the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Iran—was founded by members of the Kharrazi family, who maintain close ties to Iran’s highest leadership. The investigation found that the exchange was established by brothers Ali and Mohammad Kharrazi, who previously used the surname “Aghamir” to conceal their connection to the Kharrazi family—a family long embedded in Iran’s political inner circle, including historical links to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his successors. The report states that Nobitex currently serves over 11 million users and dominates Iran’s cryptocurrency market. It continued operating during Iran’s conflicts with the United States and Israel—even amid nationwide internet blackouts—and processed transactions throughout. Analysts estimate its trading volume exceeded $100 million during wartime, accompanied by substantial outflows of funds overseas. Additionally, multiple on-chain analytics firms have identified that the platform processed transactions linked to sanctioned entities, with estimated volumes ranging from $22 million to $366 million. Data also shows that wallets associated with the Central Bank of Iran transferred hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency assets to Nobitex in 2025—widely believed to be an effort to circumvent financial sanctions. Nobitex has denied any government affiliation and stated that illicit transactions constitute only a small fraction of its overall business.