Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin confirmed on Friday that it had been hacked, resulting in the theft of 4,502.9 bitcoin (roughly $305 million).
According to cryptocurrency security firm Elliptic, this is the eighth largest cryptocurrency theft in history.
DMM Bitcoin announced on Friday that it had detected “an unauthorized leakage of Bitcoin (BTC) from our wallet,” that it was still investigating, and that it had taken steps to prevent further theft. According to a machine-translated version of the company's official blog post written in Japanese, the cryptocurrency exchange also said it had “restricted the use of some services to ensure further safety.”
The company also promised that “with the assistance of our group companies, we will raise an amount equal to the amount of BTC lost, so all customers' Bitcoin deposits will be fully guaranteed.”
DMM Bitcoin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hackers stole roughly $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency in dozens of cyberattacks and thefts last year, according to De.Fi, a web3security firm that tracks cryptocurrency thefts and fraud. While that's still a huge amount, the total was the lowest since 2020.