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A former FBI agent admitted to stealing approximately $2.47 million in cryptocurrency that belonged to crime victims and nation-state targets under investigation. He used the stolen funds to pay off personal debts and was reportedly planning a retirement move to Portugal, consulting ChatGPT for assistance with those plans.
Binance said attackers gained access to a DevOps engineer's compromised laptop and used it to reach a service container, enabling them to submit unauthorized withdrawal transactions. Co-CEO Richard Teng said the attack was more complex than a single engineer's permissions being exploited, and the company has not attributed blame to any individual. Binance has suspended deposits and withdrawals, revoked authorizations for the affected address, and says it will cover losses via its SAFU fund and company reserves.
Ledger confirmed that hardware implants planted in some Ledger Nano X wallets sold by Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis allowed attackers to steal roughly $102 million in crypto. Since then, a European buyer and other researchers have reported finding similar implants in Nano X, Flex and Stax devices purchased from a major German electronics chain, suggesting the tampering extends beyond the single reseller Ledger initially named.
Ledger has acknowledged reports of compromised or tampered devices, sometimes called 'spy implants,' being used to siphon cryptocurrency from users. The company detailed how these devices intercept transactions, and reports indicate the attackers attempted to launder stolen funds using privacy tools like Tornado Cash and Zcash, but did so imperfectly, leaving traceable patterns.
Ledger has confirmed that a spy chip implant was responsible for a string of thefts from its crypto hardware wallets. The company has not yet detailed how many users or how much cryptocurrency was affected, or how the implant was introduced into affected devices.
An ongoing investigation has found that counterfeit or tampered Ledger hardware wallets, sold through third-party resellers like Cryptobilis in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, contained hidden eSIM and LTE chips capable of capturing users' recovery phrases. Researchers say more than $93 million has already been stolen from affected users, while wallets purchased directly from Ledger remain unaffected. Cryptobilis has halted sales of all hardware wallet brands while the investigation continues.
Users of Ledger crypto wallets purchased through reseller CryptoBillis have reported drained accounts, with reports citing over $86 million stolen from hundreds of wallets. Photos shared on social media appear to show a hidden circuit board implanted under the wallet's screen that captures the seed passphrase and transmits it via an embedded SIM card. Ledger has asked CryptoBillis to pause all sales while it investigates, and says there is no evidence its own systems or directly purchased wallets were compromised.
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget said hackers stole more than $351 million from its hot wallets in a Thursday cyberattack, making it the largest crypto theft of the year. The exchange has suspended withdrawals and said its $464 million user protection fund should cover losses, though CEO Gracy Chen did not give a timeline for restoring withdrawals.