Hackers Transfer $328,000 Million Worth of BNB and MATIC Tokens
The hackers responsible for the $41 million hack of cryptocurrency casino Stake have made another move. According to blockchain security firm CertiK, they have shifted $328,000 million worth of Binance Coin (BNB) and Polygon (MATIC) tokens. The most recent transfer involved 300 BNB tokens worth approximately $61,500, which were bridged to the Avalanche blockchain. Additionally, 520,000 MATIC tokens worth over $266,000 were moved to Avalanche as well.
Total Amount Stolen Represents Only 1.2% of the $41 Million
These transfers add to the $4.5 million in stolen funds that were bridged to the Bitcoin blockchain on September 7. However, this total of $4.8 million only represents 1.2% of the total amount stolen by the hackers.
Hacker Accesses Private Key to Carry Out the Hack
The hack was executed on September 4 when the hacker gained access to the private key of Stake's Binance Smart Chain and Ethereum hot wallets.
Hackers Bring the Total Losses from Hacks and Scams to Over $1 Billion
With the $41 million stolen from Stake, the total losses from cryptocurrency hacks and scams have surpassed $1 billion in 2023. Blockchain security firm CertiK previously reported the figure to be $997 million at the end of August. However, several attacks in the last two weeks have pushed the figure over the $1 billion mark.
Other Recent Incidents
In addition to the Stake hack, there have been other significant incidents in the cryptocurrency space. A cryptocurrency whale lost $24 million in staked Ether (ETH) in a phishing attack on September 6. Vitalik Buterin's X account was also compromised on September 9, resulting in a nonfungible token scam that cost victims approximately $691,000. These incidents, along with others like the Pepe coin withdrawal incident and security vulnerabilities on Balancer, have contributed to the total losses, which now stand at least $1.04 billion according to CertiK.
