The cryptocurrency platform BitMart suffered a theft of $ 196 million by hackers, both in Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain.
Cybercriminals stole the equivalent of about US $ 200 million from the Bitmart cryptocurrency exchange.
The founder of the company, Sheldon Xia, announced on Twitter this Monday that the Hackers were in possession of a digital key for one of the so-called “Hot wallets”.
It is a software “wallet” for crypto currencies such as Bitcoin, which is connected to the Internet. After the theft, Bitmart temporarily suspended all withdrawals until further notice.
The company had initially estimated the damages at about US $ 150 million (about € 132.7 million) in an initial notification. Hackers gained access to digital currencies based on Ethereum y Binanceblockchain security firm PeckShield announced on Twitter. PeckShield had also discovered and reported the theft on Sunday.
BitMart’s theft constitutes one of the highest centralized exchange hacks to date.
They plan compensation
The head of the company, Xia, wrote that in response to this incident, Bitmart carried out initial security reviews and identified the affected assets. “This security breach was mainly caused by a stolen private key that compromised two of our ‘hot wallets. Other assets with Bitmart are safe and intact. “
1/4 In response to this incident, BitMart has completed initial security checks and identified affected assets. This security breach was mainly caused by a stolen private key that had two of our hot wallets compromised. Other assets with BitMart are safe and unharmed.
— Sheldon Xia (@sheldonbitmart) December 6, 2021
Bitmart plans to compensate users, Xia said. The company will announce a schedule to gradually resume deposits and withdrawals, he said, adding that he was “sure” they will resume on Tuesday.
The best way to protect crypto money against such attacks is to store it on a computer that is not connected to the Internet.
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
