In the spring of 2026, a group of criminals executed a technically sophisticated theft of $240 million in bitcoin, believing that cryptocurrency's reputation for anonymity would shield them from consequence. What they had not reckoned with was an older and more enduring truth: wealth, when suddenly and secretly acquired, tends to announce itself. Their extravagant spending drew the attention of investigators who, armed with blockchain analysis tools and months of patience, traced the digital breadcrumbs back to their source. By late summer, arrests had been made — a reminder that the architect