Liquid cryptocurrency exchange loses $97m after hack

Amount lost includes $45m in Ethereum tokens

Life

Image: Worldspectrum

Following a hacker raid on its systems, Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Liquid lost $97 million in crypto assets.

In a tweet, the firm said that its hot wallets were compromised, and it is moving assets into cold wallets. “We are currently investigating and will provide regular updates. In the meantime, deposits and withdrawals will be suspended,” the firm said.

It added in a follow-up tweet that it had found four blockchain addresses, in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, and XRP, associated with the hacker.

According to Elliptic’s analysis, the thief’s accounts have received just over $97 million in crypto assets. The amount includes $45 million in Ethereum tokens, which the hacker is converting to Ether using decentralized exchanges (DEXs), such as Uniswap and SushiSwap.

“This enables the hacker to avoid having these assets frozen – as is possible with many Ethereum tokens,” the firm said.

James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, told ITPro that criminals continue to target systems and networks where the money is stored. If it is digital, it can be hacked.

“Unfortunately, with another cryptocurrency exchange successfully attacked for the second time this week, this can only be a sign of things on the horizon for these exchange companies,” he said.

“Users of cryptocurrency want to ensure not to put all of their funds into one type of currency and, for more significant amounts, keep them in an offline or cold wallet to prevent theft via the exchanges. While this might seem like keeping your cash funds in the mattress at home instead of the bank, there are currently no Federal Deposit Insurance agencies to protect against your crypto funds and the exchange organisations.”

Ⓒ Future Publishing

Read More: cryptocurrency