Crypto sleuth ZachXBT says wrong suspect detained in Bored Ape NFT theft

Cybersecurity researcher ZachXBT claims that law enforcement detained the wrong person for a 2022 scam that stole over $1 million worth of Bored Ape NFTs. ZachXBT identified the wallet behind the scam and linked it to a now-deleted X account. However, in 2023, law enforcement detained Sam Curry, a former Yuga Labs security researcher, as a suspect in the incident. Yuga Labs is the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. ZachXBT says that Curry was mistakenly detained due to his security work on the theft, which involved using a private key put in the JavaScript of the website by the threat actor. The real suspect allegedly stole 14 Bored Ape NFTs in 2022, which traded for roughly $86,000 each at the time. ZachXBT used forensic tracing to identify a likely suspect in the 2022 theft and suggests that law enforcement officials should request data related to the suspect's media accounts and dig into on-chain transactions associated with their alleged wallet. The Bored Ape Yacht Club is one of the most valuable NFT collections, with a cumulative market capitalization of over $300 million. As of May 9, Bored Ape NFTs trade for roughly $30,000 each, according to NFT marketplace OpenSea. ZachXBT's findings highlight the importance of accurate tracing and investigation in cryptocurrency-related cases.