Top

CoinEx Reveals Insights Into Recent Platform Hack

Policy & Regulation·September 20, 2023, 1:33 AM

Hong Kong crypto exchange CoinEx has issued a further update relative to the security breach that occurred on the platform last week resulting in one of the exchange’s hot wallets being compromised.

Photo by FLY:D on Unsplash

 

Immediate response

In the immediate aftermath of the $70 million hack, CoinEx took action to safeguard user assets and initiate an investigation into the incident. It suspended all deposit and withdrawal services and executed an emergency shutdown of the hot wallet server. Following this, the company securely moved the remaining assets to cold storage, commencing the process of reconstructing and deploying a new wallet architecture.

The firm also engaged in an investigation, spearheaded by its wallet and security teams, to ascertain the extent of the breach. Moreover, CoinEx claims to have proactively reached out to fellow exchanges to freeze any assets related to the attack.

Haipo Yang, the Founder and CEO of CoinEx, conveyed his apologies to affected users through his personal X (formerly Twitter) account. He emphasized the team’s commitment to restoring services promptly and reassured users that their funds will remain secure.

Following up on that commitment, CoinEx published an update on the hot wallet hack on September 15 to address these concerns individually.

 

New wallet deployment

The exchange expects to finalize wallet upgrades within the upcoming week, after which withdrawals will gradually be phased in, subject to security evaluations. The CoinEx team is currently working on developing and deploying an entirely new and robust wallet system capable of managing activities across 211 chains and 737 assets.

The firm has outlined that each of its product lines operates independently, featuring its own risk control system. Consequently, the security incident that occurred on CoinEx will not affect the integrity of its other product lines.

In its most recent update on Tuesday, the Hong Kong crypto exchange confirmed that 80% of its wallet system has now been reconstructed. It added that it has initiated preparations to enable the withdrawal system on the platform. It stated:

”Details about the resumption of withdrawals, including specific dates, times, and arrangements, will be announced on the CoinEx website. Please stay updated on our announcements for the latest information.”

 

Ongoing investigation

Regarding the identity of the attacker, CoinEx has confirmed that the matter is currently under investigation. While some security firms have made attribution claims, the company is focusing primarily on deploying the new wallet architecture, restoring affected users and functionalities, and enhancing overall security.

At the same time, the company has initiated communications with the hackers in a bid to proactively seek a mutually agreeable resolution. While the incident implicates the loss of a substantial amount of funds, the firm maintains that in the context of the overall business, the sum represents only a small percentage of total assets under its management.

Exchange security remains a major challenge in the crypto sector, with hacks happening on an ongoing basis. Last week, Seychelles-headquartered peer-to-peer crypto platform Remitano acknowledged a $2.7 million hack. At the beginning of September, crypto gambling platform Stake was reported to have suffered a $41 million hack.

More to Read
View All
Web3 & Enterprise·

Jan 31, 2024

Latest Champions Arena NFT collection pre-sale sells out in one hour

South Korean Web3 and metaverse game developer OneUniverse announced today that the Champions Mystic Box NFT collection for its Web3 role-playing game (RPG) Champions Arena has sold out in just an hour, according to local news outlet GameTOC on Wednesday (KST), making it the game’s second NFT collection to be completely sold out. Photo by Jack B on UnsplashUnveiling the Champions Mystic BoxA subject of high anticipation among gamers, the Champions Mystic Box includes the game's highest-tiered NFT as well as a new Champion that was revealed for the first time. It also includes an aid with a one-year time limit that was leveraged for driving user response, according to OneUniverse. Prior to the NFT pre-sale, Choi Hwan-jin, the new producer-director (PD) of Champions Arena, held an Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) session with the gaming platform Gala Games to discuss the RPG's updates and improvements, which also contributed to a successful pre-sale. "We are delighted that the first NFT pre-sale after the game’s PD transition sold out so quickly," said Se-jun Go, CEO of OneUniverse. "We will continue to deliver on the game improvement plans we promised our users before the transition and strive to meet their expectations." Diving into the realms of Champions ArenaChampions Arena launched worldwide in August last year and has since then gained popularity for its real-time tactical battles where gamers can collect over 100 adaptable and customizable NFT Champions and various other in-game items. Players can also battle solo or in guilds.  The game is currently available for download on both PC and mobile on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Gala Games platform.

news
Policy & Regulation·

Oct 30, 2023

Gyeonggi Officials with Cryptocurrencies Clear of Professional Conflicts in Virtual Assets

Gyeonggi Officials with Cryptocurrencies Clear of Professional Conflicts in Virtual AssetsGyeonggi Province, South Korea’s most populated province surrounding the national capital of Seoul, announced on October 26 (local time) that the duties of all crypto-holding officials ranked 4 or higher in the provincial government are not associated with virtual assets. In Korea, public officials are ranked from nine to one, with one being the highest position.In anticipation of the amended Public Service Ethics Act coming into effect on December 14, the Gyeonggi provincial government introduced a revised employee code of conduct in August. This required officials of rank 4 or higher to report their crypto holdings within 10 days starting from August 21.Photo by Nattu Adnan on UnsplashReported crypto ownershipThe result indicated that out of 228 officials, 23 reported owning virtual assets. Among these, 15 officials held cryptocurrencies valued at less than KRW 1 million ($738), while the remaining 8 had holdings exceeding that amount.To determine any potential involvement with cryptocurrencies in their official duties, the Gyeonggi government examined the roles and responsibilities of these officials within their respective departments. Following this review, the matter was forwarded to the Gyeonggi Public Service Ethics Committee for further scrutiny.Ethics committee reviewOn October 20, the committee convened to assess the relationship between the officials’ duties and their crypto holdings. They unanimously concluded that none of the 23 officials had any ties to crypto in their official roles.The newly revised code of conduct elaborates on the conditions under which a public official’s responsibilities are associated with virtual assets. Specifically, an official’s duties are considered linked to virtual assets if they are involved in formulating or implementing crypto-related policies or laws; conducting related investigations, inquiries, or inspections; engaging in the registration and oversight of cryptocurrency exchanges; or if they are involved in supporting or overseeing the development of crypto technologies.In light of these definitions, officials who engage in any of the above roles are strictly prohibited from capitalizing on any crypto-related information they encounter during their professional duties for personal trading or investment. Furthermore, officials who either currently shoulder or have previously carried out such responsibilities are required to disclose any crypto holdings they acquire.In the future, once the revised Ethics Act is implemented, the Gyeonggi government will remain fully committed to preventing conflicts of interest among public officials. To bolster these efforts, Gyeonggi will introduce additional measures, including a thorough verification process for the accuracy of their cryptocurrency holdings reports.In situations where a public official with cryptocurrency holdings is assigned a position related to virtual assets, Gyeonggi will issue individualized instructions. These directives may entail either the liquidation of their cryptocurrency holdings or their removal from the specific role in question.Meanwhile, Gyeonggi will enhance its endeavors to furnish educational resources pertaining to virtual asset reporting. Moreover, the local government will restrict officials from holding virtual assets if they fall under financial disclosure obligations and are deemed to possess information about or exert influence on virtual assets.

news
Web3 & Enterprise·

Feb 23, 2024

Bithumb’s Burrito Wallet holds Partners Day 2024

Rotonda, a subsidiary of crypto exchange Bithumb that operates Burrito Wallet, announced yesterday that it held “Partners Day 2024.” According to a report by local news outlet Etoday, the event was prepared to share the company’s business plan for this year and its partnership strategies and was attended by 50 stakeholders from 30 companies partnering with Burrito Wallet. The soon-to-be-released service, “Burrito Partners,” was also introduced in the venue.  Following the official launch in February last year, Bithumb’s Burrito Wallet has been collaborating with Web2 and Web3 firms in blockchain service development and co-marketing. Burrito Wallet is dedicated to contributing to bridging Web2 and Web3 ecosystems through forging partnerships.Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on UnsplashSoon-to-be-launched service, Burrito Partners Burrito Partners is Rotonda’s new service to help its partners with marketing efforts. It has been designed to enhance the workflow and boost the quantitative growth of its partners that struggle with a lack of workforce.  Burrito Wallet will leverage Burrito Partners to provide services that can monitor user events, manage follower and marketing indexes, strengthen user community, provide airdrop solutions and secure transaction data, all of which are expected to maximize marketing performance. “By making partnerships with various companies that share the same values with Bithumb’s Burrito Wallet, we have been able to actively expand the blockchain ecosystem,” said Shin Min-chul, CEO of Burrito Wallet. “We are also planning to roll out a rewarding service for users sometime during next month. Burrito Wallet is dedicated to developing a system where all partners can thrive,” he added. 

news
Loading