Bitcoin News

Story: Teen Hacker Dritan Kapllani Jr. Tied to $19M Crypto Theft Ring, ZachXBT Says

By Sakamoto Nashi

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Federal Case Names Teen as Co-Conspirator. US authorities unsealed a criminal complaint against Trenton Johnson for his role in the 185 BTC…

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Meme Coin Influencer Helped Launder Funds. The network gets messier. ZachXBT's report links Dritan to a meme coin influencer called "yelotree.

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Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT just dropped a bombshell report connecting a US teenager to more than $19 million in stolen crypto. The kid's name: Dritan Kapllani Jr.

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And he wasn't exactly keeping a low profile. Dritan spent months posting pictures of luxury cars, expensive watches, private jets, and bottle service across his social media…

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ZachXBT dug deeper. He traced Dritan's Ethereum wallet back to a massive Bitcoin heist that went down on March 14, 2026.

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US authorities unsealed a criminal complaint against Trenton Johnson for his role in the 185 BTC theft. The documents name Dritan as "Co-Conspirator 1.

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ZachXBT held back his findings until the Johnson charges became public. He wanted the official legal process to move first. Smart move, probably.

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The investigator also connected Dritan to an earlier case involving John Daghita, who goes by "Lick" online.

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Social engineering played a huge role in these thefts. Dritan and his crew didn't hack systems with code—they manipulated people.

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The Discord call where Dritan flashed his wallet balance wasn't just bragging. It gave ZachXBT a direct link between the person and the funds.

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ZachXBT's ability to trace funds across multiple wallets and platforms shows how transparent blockchain can be—if you know what you're looking for.

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The rental car business angle is wild. Using a legitimate business to clean dirty crypto isn't new, but it's risky.

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See also: Microsoft Sounds Alarm on Mistral AI Trojan, Security Audits Urged Across Crypto and Tech

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Dritan's age complicated things legally. Prosecutors can't treat a 17-year-old the same way they'd treat an adult, even if the crimes are identical.

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The Johnson complaint gives us a peek at how federal prosecutors are building their case. Naming Dritan as a co-conspirator without charging him yet means they're still gathering…

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