A prominent cryptocurrency exchange, Grinex, has halted all operations after falling victim to a sophisticated cyber attack that resulted in the theft of approximately $13 million. The exchange, which has been known to cater to Russian users seeking to circumvent sanctions, announced the breach on its official Telegram channel and website.
According to Grinex, the nature and scope of the attack suggest the involvement of state-sponsored actors from hostile nations. In a statement, the exchange noted that the 'digital fingerprints' and methodology employed by the attackers indicate an unusually high level of resources and technological expertise, typically reserved for state-backed entities. Preliminary findings suggest that the attack was orchestrated to deliberately undermine Russia's financial independence.
Grinex, which was previously sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU for its alleged role in facilitating sanctions evasion through a ruble-pegged stablecoin called A7A5, has temporarily suspended trading activities. This has left users without access to their funds while the company conducts an investigation. Additionally, access to the exchange's Moscow office has been restricted. As part of its efforts to address the situation, Grinex has released a list of 54 affected wallet addresses, along with the corresponding amounts that were drained, with the majority being in the form of USDT on the TRON blockchain.