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Hot Wallet Exploit Results in $23M Bitrue Loss

Web3 & Enterprise·April 19, 2023, 3:34 AM

Bitrue, a Singapore-based crypto exchange, has fallen prey to a $23 million hack due to a hot wallet exploit. The exchange has been forced to suspend all withdrawals until April 18, to provide an opportunity to conduct a thorough security review.

wallet with 20 USD bills in cash
©Pexels/Karolina Grabowska

 

Hot wallet vulnerability

Hot wallets are used by exchanges to store small amounts of cryptocurrencies for easy access. These wallets are connected to the internet and are therefore more vulnerable to attacks compared to cold wallets, which are stored offline. In the case of Bitrue, hackers were able to exploit the hot wallet and steal cryptocurrencies worth $23 million.

In a series of Twitter posts, the exchange outlined that the exploit occurred at 07:18 (UTC) on Friday. “We were able to address the matter quickly and prevented the further exploit of funds”, it went on to state.

The stolen digital assets include ETH, QNT, GALA, SHIB, HOT and MATIC. Bitrue outlined that the hot wallet funds account for only 5% of overall funds and that the rest of its wallets remain secure and have not been compromised.

Blockchain security firm PeckShield outlined how the funds were swapped and drained. A wallet it has labeled as “Bitrue drainer” swapped 173,000 QNT, 22.55 billion SHIB tokens, 46.4 million GALA and 310,000 MATIC for 8,540 ETH. The ether is now being held within the following address:

0x1819EDe3B8411EbC613F3603813Bf42aE09bA5A5

 

Reimbursing users

In response to the hack, Bitrue has promised to reimburse all affected users. However, the process could take some time.

The incident underscores the importance of taking precautions when storing cryptocurrencies on exchanges. Users should only keep a minimal amount of cryptocurrencies on an exchange and should not store more than they can afford to lose. Ongoing exploits, hacks and frauds exemplify the need for users to only use reputable platforms with a proven track record of security.

 

Doubling down on security

Bitrue has promised to improve its security measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The exchange’s response to the hack has been lauded by many in the cryptocurrency community, who have praised the company’s transparency and commitment to reimbursing affected users.

The cryptocurrency community has been vocal in its criticism of exchanges that fail to prioritize security. The Bitrue hack is just the latest in a series of incidents that have highlighted the importance of maintaining security in the world of cryptocurrency.

It’s not the first security breach that the exchange has encountered. In 2019 Bitrue suffered a $4.7 million loss, with quantities of both XRP and Cardano (ADA) having been stolen. On that occasion, the exchange released tracking details relative to the stolen funds. Thanks to collaboration with Huobi, Bittrex and ChangeNOW, the funds and associated accounts were frozen.

According to data from CoinGecko, Bitrue trades an average of $1 billion in digital assets daily, with bitcoin and ether trading pairs accounting for a large proportion of that trading volume. The Bitrue hack has been a wake-up call for the cryptocurrency community and serves as a reminder of the ongoing risks associated with storing cryptocurrencies on exchanges.

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