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SecurityQuiet 5d · day 6

Mercado Bitcoin halts withdrawals after $46M crypto hack

Brazil's largest exchange suspended deposits and withdrawals after wallets across at least 10 blockchains were drained, days after the record $6.3B Binance hack.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 5d ago22 pieces2 likes & upvotes NewswiresHacker NewsMastodonX

What to know

  • Mercado Bitcoin, Brazil's largest crypto exchange with about 4.5 million users, halted withdrawals after losing an estimated $46.4 million, per Arkham.
  • The exchange says no customer funds or data were affected, but blockchain security researchers found evidence disputing that, including continued post-suspension transfers out of compromised wallets.
  • Tether and other stablecoin issuers have frozen roughly $6.5 million of the stolen assets so far; the hack has not yet been attributed to any group.
  • The breach follows the record $6.3 billion Binance hack days earlier and a string of other large exchange compromises, intensifying scrutiny of crypto platform security.

“identify, freeze, and disrupt impacted funds”

Chainalysis, Blockchain security company · The Record ↗ · Nov 1

Mercado Bitcoin Brazil's largest crypto exchangePaolo ArdoinoPaolo Ardoino Tether CEODickson Wu Senior security engineer, CertikChainalysis Blockchain security firmArkham Intelligence Blockchain analytics platform

Mercado Bitcoin halts withdrawals after $46M crypto hack
therecord.media

How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 17 pieces in two hours at Nov 2, 4 PM; 22 pieces over 6 days (19 articles · 3 posts) Nov 2, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 2, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 2, 2 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 2, 4 PM — 17 pieces · 15 articles · 2 posts — Newswires 15, X 1, Mastodon 1Nov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 3, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Nov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quiet 1–4
Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 10:50 AM ET
  1. 4

    Blockchain intelligence firm Arkham puts losses at $46.4M

    Arkham Intelligence's updated tracking raised the estimated stolen total to $46.4 million, with outlets noting losses were still growing as funds continued to be traced across chains.

    “Our teams are mobilized – investigating the case, tracking the assets, and coordinating measures with the competent authorities…”
    — Mercado Bitcoin, exchange statement · source
    1. 6 outlets Brazil's Largest Crypto Exchange Mercado Bitcoin Hacked for Over $40M

      first by CoinGape, 5d ago · also Decrypt, Yahoo Finance, The Record, The Block, Rio Times

      4 more headlines

    • THIS IS INSANE. In just 4 days following the biggest exploit ever, Mercado Bitcoin is hacked for $40M and an EU exchange is hacked for $106M today. Is anything safe anymore??? 🤯

      @andyyyX5d agoview on X ↗
  2. 3

    Tether and Circle freeze stolen stablecoins

    Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the company froze about $4.5 million of the stolen assets, with roughly $2 million more frozen by other platforms as Chainalysis tracked the funds to support industry-wide freezes.

  3. 2

    Researchers find funds still moving after suspension

    Despite the announced halt, addresses tied to the breach kept receiving and transferring funds for hours, including thousands of small ETH transfers into a single address; Certik's Wu warned the attacker could still access customer deposit addresses, contradicting Mercado Bitcoin's no-impact claim.

    “So whoever did this can also move money out of MB's customer deposit addresses…”
    — Dickson Wu, Certik
  4. 1

    Analysts estimate $40M drained across 10 chains

    CoinDesk reported wallets on at least 10 blockchains had been emptied, placing initial loss estimates around $40 million.

    1. 1 outlet first by CoinDesk, 5d ago · read ↗

  5. background

    Mercado Bitcoin halts deposits and withdrawals — The exchange confirmed a security incident Monday morning and suspended all deposits and withdrawals, stating the breach caused no financial impact to customers and no data leak.

  6. background

    Attackers begin draining Mercado Bitcoin wallets — According to Certik security engineer Dickson Wu, attackers probed eight small chains including Base, Optimism and Arbitrum for about four hours late Sunday night before moving to the company's main hot wallets.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Brazil's Mercado Bitcoin Freezes Deposits and Withdrawals Due to Ongoing Security Incident, Losses Estimated Near $40 Million

    first by Bitcoin Magazine, 5d ago · also CoinDesk

    2 more headlines
  2. 2 outlets Mercado Bitcoin Halts Withdrawals After Security Incident as Hypernative Flags $40M Outflows

    first by CryptoPotato, 5d ago · also Unchained

    2 more headlines
  3. 2 outlets Mercado Bitcoin wallets show post-hack transfers after $46M theft

    first by Cointelegraph, 5d ago · also Protos

    1 more headline

and 2 smaller pieces