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A hacker stole data from the Pentagon, Europol and 40+ companies, built one of the dark web’s biggest stolen data marketplaces, and was eventually caught after accepting a $250 payment in Bitcoin. > Kai West, better known online as IntelBroker, was accused of running a major stolen-data marketplace on the dark web. > His alleged victims included Apple, AMD, Cisco, Nokia, General Electric and Europol. > The operation was also linked to claims involving sensitive US government data, including information about members of Congress. > For years, IntelBroker operated under a pseudonym, selling stolen data while trying to keep his real identity hidden. > He reportedly preferred Monero, a cryptocurrency designed to make transactions harder to trace. > Then came a $250 deal. > In January 2023, an FBI agent allegedly persuaded him to accept Bitcoin for a purchase of stolen data. > That payment became a crucial lead in the investigation. > Investigators spent years connecting online accounts, cryptocurrency activity and other digital evidence to identify the person behind the alias. > In January 2025, IntelBroker announced he was stepping away from the forum he had been running. > Three weeks later, French authorities arrested him. > The case involved allegations of MILLIONS of dollars in damage and attacks affecting dozens of organizations. > He allegedly spent years hiding behind an online identity, only for one transaction to help investigators close in on him. The hacker who relied on crypto to hide his tracks may have made one of his biggest mistakes by accepting a different coin.