In 2018, Iceland became the backdrop for one of the most significant Bitcoin heists in history, an incident that came to be known as "The Big Bitcoin Heist."

It all began with the arrest of Sindri Þór Stefánsson, an Icelandic criminal who was serving time for crimes related to theft and drug trafficking. While incarcerated in a high-security prison, Stefánsson decided to expand his criminal activities to include cryptocurrencies.

He managed to escape from prison, along with several other inmates, in a spectacular jailbreak. During his escape, he gained access to the prison's server and stole around 600 Bitcoin mining computers that were being used for illegal mining operations within the prison itself. These miners were smuggled out of the prison, and with them, Stefánsson and his accomplices successfully fled.

The theft of Bitcoin mining equipment created a major stir in Iceland, as the cryptocurrency mining industry in the country was significant due to its abundant geothermal energy resources. The estimated value of the stolen Bitcoin and mining equipment was around $2 million at the time.

Stefánsson was eventually recaptured in the Netherlands and extradited back to Iceland, but the stolen mining equipment and Bitcoins remained missing. "The Big Bitcoin Heist" story serves as a dramatic example of the challenges and risks involved in securing cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin mining.