Hackers have yet again successfully raided a cryptocurrency exchange and this time it is Cryptopia, an exchange operating in New Zealand. The exchange has since then gone offline, with reports emerging of cryptocurrency having already been stolen from the exchange.
The announcement was made on Twitter by the exchange itself with the official account stating that it had “suffered a security breach which resulted in significant losses”:
— Cryptopia Exchange (@Cryptopia_NZ) January 15, 2019
As of now, Cryptopia is currently in unscheduled maintenance mode.
According to Whale Alert that tracks large transfers of cryptocurrencies, more than ETH 19,391 were transferred to unknown wallets during the hack. Some 48 million Centrality (CENNIZ) tokens worth around USD 1.18 million were also moved. It is, however, not yet clear if the funds were moved by the hackers or the exchange itself.
Cryptopia reached out to its traders with a follow-up announcement. It stated that the government agencies had been notified including the High-Tech Crimes Unit which was “jointly and actively investigating the matter as a major crime and they are assisting us with advice”.
Several allegations have also surfaced against the exchange with some accusing the exchange of an exit scam, allegedly pre-planned. Ran NeuNer, a crypto host on CNBC Tweeted his thoughts, speculating that smaller exchanges will not survive such a hack and that this incident will benefit larger players.
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