Bitfloor founder claims pilfered currency has not been touched
Cyberthieves who stole more than $250,000 (£158,000) in digital money are still sitting on the cash.
The haul, in what is known as bitcoins, was stolen in a raid on the Bitfloor online currency exchange this month. Bitfloor boss Roman Shtylman said transaction-tracking technology in the bitcoin system showed the money had not been spent.
The robbery forced Bitfloor to close but Mr Shtylman said he was working on ways to relaunch the exchange. Although bitcoins can be used to buy and sell, the digital currency is not minted by a nation. Instead bitcoins are "mined" by people getting their computer to perform a complicated and time-consuming mathematical problem.