Highlights
In the midst of heightened tensions surrounding the Israel-Iran war, Nobitex, the largest Iranian crypto exchange, has fallen victim to a significant hack. The hack resulted in the loss of over $81 million in digital assets. Reportedly, the heist is attributed to Gonjeshke Darande, a group with alleged ties to Israel.
Earlier today, Nobitex revealed that the crypto exchange has detected unauthorized access to part of its reporting infrastructure and hot wallet. As per the X post, the platform swiftly suspended access and assured users that their assets were secure. Nobitex’s statement is translated as,
Immediately upon detection, all access was suspended and our internal security teams are closely investigating the extent of the incident. We would like to remind you that users’ assets are completely secure according to cold storage standards, and the above incident only affected a portion of the assets in hot wallets. However, the platform hasn’t publicly revealed specifics about the stolen assets or the alleged perpetrators.
Later, in a Telegram post, crypto sleuth ZachXBT revealed further details on the hack. ZachXBT asserted that the Iranian exchange lost at least $81 million in digital assets. Although only a portion of the loss is confirmed, the investigator identified that users across the Tron network and EVM-compatible blockchains have lost the funds.
Reportedly, the attackers used a “vanity address” to exploit the protocol, triggering suspicious outflows from multiple wallets linked to Nobitex. The attackers used two addresses; $49 million was stolen through the first one.
Gonjeshke Darande, or Predatory Sparrow, a hacker group with alleged pro-Israel ties, has taken credit for the crypto hack. They wrote on their X account, “We, “Gonjeshke Darande”, conducted cyberattacks against Nobitex.”
Notably, the hackers alleged that Nobitex aided the Iranian regime in evading sanctions, claiming the platform was integral to the government’s financial and military operations. This unexpected crypto hack comes despite Iran’s attempt to reduce tensions with Israel. The hackers threatened to release Nobitex’s internal source code and data within 24 hours, warning users that any assets remaining on the platform after that would be vulnerable. They added,
These cyberattacks are the result of Nobitex being a key regime tool for financing terrorism and violating sanctions. Associating with regime terror financing and sanction violation infrastructure puts your assets at risk. Take action before it’s too late
Despite earlier reports, US President Donald Trump denied mediating the Israel-Iran war. He wrote, “I have not reached out to Iran for “Peace Talks” in any way, shape, or form. This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS! If they want to talk, they know how to reach me.”
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