A serious cryptocurrency exchange says it was the victim of a complicated hack that stole about $1.5 billion price of digital currency, marking one among the most important online thefts of all time.
Bybit said Friday that a routine transfer of Ethereum, one of the popular cryptocurrencies, between digital wallets was “manipulated” by an attacker who transferred the crypto to an unidentified address.
The corporate sought to reassure customers that their cryptocurrency holdings with the exchange were secure. The corporate added that news of the hack had led to a surge in withdrawal requests and there could possibly be delays in processing them.
Ben Zhou, Bybit’s CEO, said on social media that his company would remain solvent even when the hacked crypto wasn’t recovered.
“We are able to cover the loss,” he said.
Stealing cryptocurrencies is a favourite tactic of hackers. North Korean state hackers, specifically, have been linked to several high-dollar crypto thefts in recent times.
In December, the FBI, the Defense Department and National Police Agency of Japan issued a joint statement blaming North Korean hackers for the theft of $308 million from a Japanese crypto firm
