NEWSSavannah Guthrie's Mom Nancy Could Have Been Found With 'Simple Tactic,' Expert Claims
A cryptocurrency expert believes police could have used a 'simple tactic' to track the $6 million Bitcoin ransom demanded for Nancy Guthrie.
Feb. 10 2026, Published 4:53 p.m. ET
Investigators may have missed a major opportunity in cracking the abduction case of Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, according to a cryptocurrency expert.
“Whenever cyber criminals offer their wallet address is where they basically reveal themselves in many ways,” Lionsgate founder and CEO Bezalel Eithan Raviv told a news outlet on Tuesday, February 10, adding that the transaction can be followed to “see where it lands.”
Investigators Could've Used 'Simple Tactic'
Nancy Guthrie's alleged kidnappers demanded a $6 million ransom in Bitcoin.
The CEO's comments come one day after Nancy's alleged kidnappers demanded $6 million in Bitcoin in exchange for the 84-year-old, setting a 5 p.m. Arizona time deadline on February 9.
When the deadline expired without further communication, investigators were left reassessing whether the ransom claims were legitimate.
The businessman — whose company focuses on crypto recovery with expertise in Blockchain forensics – said a "simple tactic" could've been used to "intercept criminal network crypto assets."
“That’s from our perspective based on previous cases that have been incredibly successful," he explained, noting that even initiating a small exchange of crypto to the kidnapper's address could lead to new identifying information.
Expert Slams Idea Bitcoin Transactions Are Impossible to Track
The cryptocurrency expert believes investigators missed the mark on using a 'simple tactic.'
The source, who offered his services to authorities, explained that the criminal's identity was vulnerable the moment the crypto address was shared. He also shut down the notion that Bitcoin transactions were impossible to track.
“He showed his Achilles to everyone who understands blockchain forensics,” the expert told the outlet. “There’s a lot of conversations that are incredibly gooey around blockchain technology … Most people still, in 2026, do not believe you can trace crypto. And a lot of people in 2026 still believe you cannot recover crypto. And these are all nonsense ideas because we have shifted so much.”
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Depositing Partial Amount Could Put Nancy Guthrie at Risk
The expert said depositing a partial amount to the alleged kidnappers could put Nancy Guthries at risk.
Though depositing a small amount of Bitcoin into the address supplied by Nancy's alleged kidnappers could spark helpful information, he said it was possible it could also put the senior at risk.
“We are only looking at it from the strategy of technology, not from the strategy of enforcement of law,” Bezalel stated, adding he doesn't believe investigators understand the intricacies of the fairly new currency. “I think the vulnerable point here for law enforcement is because of their lack of ability to understand crypto and blockchain, and this is why it’s taking longer than it should."
Nancy Guthrie Was Reported Missing on February 1
New photos were released by the FBI on February 10.
Nancy was reported missing on February 1 after skipping a regular church livestream with a group of friends.
Pima County Sheriff's Department soon determined that the journalist's mother's home was being considered a crime scene after finding blood at her front door. Officers noted that the Arizona native was "cognitive" but "limited in her mobility," pushing the theory that she was taken against her will.
In a shocking update on February 10, the FBI released photos showing an armed individual disabling the doorbell camera outside of Nancy's home on the day of her disappearance.
