16.07.2025 18:14
A significant security breach has compromised BigONE, a cryptocurrency exchange, resulting in the theft of approximately $27 million in digital assets. The incident, discovered on July 16th, involved a sophisticated third-party attack targeting the exchange's hot wallet system, triggering internal alerts due to unusual transaction activity. BigONE's investigation confirmed the attack, emphasizing that despite the breach, their private keys remain unaffected and the attack vector has been successfully contained, preventing further losses.
The stolen assets include a substantial amount of Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Tether (USDT) across multiple blockchains. Furthermore, significant holdings of CELR, SNT, and SHIB, among other tokens, were also compromised. In collaboration with blockchain security firm SlowMist, BigONE is actively tracking the stolen funds and pursuing recovery efforts, leveraging SlowMist's expertise in tracing the attacker's wallet addresses and monitoring the movement of the stolen cryptocurrencies.
BigONE has publicly committed to fully compensating all affected users for their losses. To fulfill this commitment, the exchange is utilizing its internal security reserves – comprised of Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, Solana, and Mixin – to immediately replenish affected accounts. For less commonly traded tokens, BigONE is actively securing external liquidity through borrowing mechanisms, aiming for a swift restoration of platform wallets.
According to a report from Cyvers, another blockchain security firm, the attacker exploited BigONE's production network. The attack methodology involved deploying malicious code to the account-operation servers, potentially via compromised CI/CD or server management systems, thereby manipulating core functionality and disabling crucial risk controls. The attack commenced with the theft of 350 ETH, rapidly escalating to encompass Bitcoin, Solana, and Tron assets, ultimately consolidating the stolen funds into a single address for money laundering purposes.
