Alleged Nancy Guthrie Bitcoin ransom: $6 million crypto trade not 'uncommon,' expert says

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TUCSON, Ariz. — A Bitcoin transaction worth about $6 million was recorded Tuesday night, almost exactly 24 hours after an alleged ransom deadline for the same amount passed in the case of the missing Nancy Guthrie.

TMZ reported on Monday night, just after the deadline, that the Bitcoin wallet associated with the alleged demand was empty. 

Though Tuesday night's $6 million transfer could seem like an eye-popping sum, it is likely unrelated to the Guthrie case, one expert told Fox News Digital. 

"I think that one of the promises of cryptocurrency, is this ability to move larger amounts of funds faster without dealing with banks and intermediaries," Ari Redbord, global head of policy at TRM Labs, told Fox News Digital. "You do see large transactions occur. It is interesting that it occurred in this timeframe, but, I think it would get more alerting if it was $60 million or $600 million, to be honest with you."

TRM Labs monitors, investigates and detects cryptocurrency fraud and financial crimes. 

"The six [million], it certainly wouldn't be uncommon to see a transaction like that on chain," he said. 

The supposed captors had been communicating with the Guthrie family through the media since the day after Nancy's disappearance. 

An undated photo of Nancy Guthrie and Savannah Guthrie was provided by NBC in response to the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of the "Today" show host. (Courtesy of NBC)

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According to another expert who spoke to Fox News Digital, a Bitcoin transaction, even one with a $6 million sum, would be quick and untraceable. 

"So the way the payment would work is just wallet to wallet, but the point of it is it wouldn't be tracked," Rosecliff Ventures CEO Michael Murphy said. "You wouldn't be able to trace where my wallet came from, and you wouldn't be able to trace what wallet it was going to."

FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night as an investigation into her disappearance continues. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

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Even if the Guthries have never exchanged cryptocurrency before, they could open a wallet, deposit the money and send it with only a few clicks. 

"Click, click done," he said. "And you wouldn't know where it went, or you couldn't even check. A lot of times these people have different IP addresses being found in different places. So you'd be like, 'oh they were in Russia, oh now, wait, they were in Florida, oh no, they're in Paris.' So you wouldn't really know."

Redbord explained that cryptocurrency addresses can be tracked for patterns, though they provide anonymity for the traders themselves. 

 "Cryptocurrency is a paradox. We can now move a larger amount of funds faster cross-border than ever before, and that's why it's attractive to illicit actors in cases like this," he said. "However, we can track and trace every transaction that moves on a public blockchain, and Bitcoin is a public blockchain. However, really what you're tracing are funds that are moving in and out of an alphanumeric cryptocurrency address."

One exception is if a user opens an account at a cryptocurrency exchange and completes a "know your customer" form.

"So, if you're going to open up an account at a cryptocurrency exchange, you need to provide your name, your social security number, your address, your phone number," he explained. "Just like as if you were going to open a bank account. So, the way that typically law enforcement is able to associate that alphanumeric address with an individual is by serving a subpoena for the underlying user information on a cryptocurrency exchange."

Without the cryptocurrency trader giving up their personal details willingly, their anonymity remains. 

But like an old-fashioned bank robber, someone who finds themselves with a large amount of Bitcoin would have a difficult time spending it without being tracked. 

In order to actually spend the money, a cryptocurrency owner would have to "cash out," usually at a cryptocurrency exchange. 

"The key here is that the bad guys, and certainly in this case, are going to need to find an off-ramp to convert this Bitcoin into something more usable," he said. "Those off ramps, those cash out points, tend to be cryptocurrency exchanges." 

Local and federal authorities have collaborated on the high-profile case, which has captured the attention of the nation. 

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Cameron made an emotional plea on Instagram asking anyone with information about their mother Nancy Guthrie's disappearance to come forward. (Credit: Instagram/@SavannahGuthrie/Today)

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In their latest message to Nancy's alleged captors, Savannah and sister Annie, along with brother Camron, once again pleaded for Nancy's release, and made a promise to pay. 

"We received your message, and we understand," Savannah said on Instagram on Saturday. "We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay."