Binance suffers theft of 6,3 miliardy dolarů
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, is currently managing the aftermath of a massive security breach that resulted in the unauthorized transfer of approximately 6,3 miliardy dolarů in digital assets. The incident, which occurred on Friday, ranks as the largest theft in the history of the cryptocurrency sector, significantly eclipsing previous records.
Timeline of the Unauthorized Asset Transfer
Within approximately 20 minutes, 6,3 miliardy dolarů in assets across Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Tron networks were moved from the exchange’s control. While the initial outflow was substantial, a coordinated response from major stablecoin issuers—including Tether and Circle—allowed for the immediate freezing of zhruba 2,7 miliardy dolarů in assets. By the end of the weekend, TRM Labs reported that the total value of assets frozen by various issuers and the Arbitrum Security Council had reached approximately 2,7 miliardy dolarů. This figure includes 8,426 ETH and 74,6 million ARB tokens frozen by the Arbitrum Security Council, alongside stablecoins locked by Tether, Circle, Ripple, and World Liberty Financial. TRM Labs noted that the attacker attempted to outpace these containment efforts by selling USDT to market makers and borrowing ETH against USDT on the Aave protocol.
The swift intervention by stablecoin operators prevented a total loss, yet the situation remains volatile. Podle Binance se zatím podařilo lokalizovat asi tři miliardy dolarů ze stolených prostředků. The status of the remaining 3,3 miliardy dolarů remains unconfirmed by the exchange, leaving a significant portion of the assets unaccounted for in public disclosures. As of the latest assessment, attackers retain control over more than 420,000 ETH and 18,270 BTC, totaling approximately 2,4 miliardy USD in assets that remain beyond the reach of any issuer.
Lazarus Group Used Compromised Laptop to Execute Theft
Preliminary investigations point to a compromised workstation as the entry point for the attackers. Specifically, the exchange linked the breach to a compromised laptop belonging to a DevOps engineer, which provided access to a service container used to execute unauthorized withdrawal requests. The use of the EIP-7702 protocol was also cited by as a method used to circumvent standard transaction approval requirements.
Blockchain analysis firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis have attributed the attack to the North Korean hacking group known as TraderTraitor, also referred to as the Lazarus Group. With a “high degree of certainty,” these firms linked the signatures of the attack to previous operations conducted by the same actors, including the 1,5 miliardy dolarů theft from Bybit in February 2025. This latest theft is estimated to be roughly four times the size of that 2025 incident. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service have since opened formal investigations into the matter.
Asset Markets Drop After Largest Hack in History
The scale of the theft triggered an immediate sell-off across digital asset markets. Bitcoin dropped to a six-week low of $76,368, while Ethereum and the native Binance Coin (BNB) experienced similar declines in valuation. Institutional players, including GSR, noted that the event forces a broader reassessment of the systemic risks inherent in holding large volumes of assets on centralized exchanges, which manage substantial user funds. Je to největší hackerský útok v historii,
said Aravind Srinivasan, head of the market-making firm GSR. Market impact extended to traditional equities as well, with Coinbase Global shares falling 4,8 percent and MicroStrategy stock dropping nearly 6 percent in extended trading.
Binance leadership has issued statements regarding the recovery of user funds. Co-founder Yi He confirmed that the exchange intends to cover all losses resulting from the hack, ensuring that individual user deposits remain unaffected. Former CEO Changpeng Zhao, who remains a significant shareholder, echoed this sentiment on social media, noting his expectation for a full restitution of user capital. Zhao, who founded the exchange in 2017, was previously sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 for allowing money laundering on the platform, before receiving a presidential pardon in October 2024. The exchange has suspended withdrawals temporarily, with plans to restore full functionality within 48 hours of the initial incident. According to the exchange’s 2025 annual report, Binance managed 162,8 billion dollars in assets.
Centralized Platforms Prompt Shift Toward Self-Custody Solutions
This incident shows that centralized platforms are repeatedly vulnerable to sophisticated social engineering and internal system compromises. The reliance on centralized custodians often leaves users exposed to the operational failures of the platform, prompting a shift toward self-custody solutions where individuals retain direct control over their private keys.
For institutional investors and enterprise-level firms, the event serves as a catalyst for reviewing custodial risk management policies. While Binance and other exchanges have paused certain trading activities, the full extent of the market impact remains to be evaluated.