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Brazil’s Largest Crypto Exchange Mercado Bitcoin Hit by Possible $40M Hack
Mercado Bitcoin (MB), Brazil’s largest crypto exchange, has been hacked, according to multiple blockchain reports. The exchange itself confirmed the incident and has temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals. Blockchain security firm Hypernative estimates $40 million in losses from the exchange’s wallets.
Dextape brief
Mercado Bitcoin, Brazil's largest crypto exchange, appears to have been hacked, according to several blockchain reports. The company confirmed a security incident and paused incoming and outgoing transfers as a precaution. Hypernative, a blockchain security company, estimates wallet losses at $40 million, a figure that emerged only days following Binance's $6 billion breach. Hypernative says the activity spanned wallets on at least ten chains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, starting around 11 PM Sunday Brazil time. Most funds went to newly created addresses tied to a likely attacker, via ordinary transfers carrying the source wallets' own signatures rather than exploiting smart contracts. The exchange says no client lost funds and no data leaked, while it traces assets with authorities; no restart date has been set.
Why it matters: The incident adds to concerns about security at large centralized exchanges, coming right after a far larger Binance hack.
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