A prominent cryptocurrency exchange, Grinex, has halted all operations after falling prey to a massive cyberattack that resulted in the theft of approximately 1 billion rubles, equivalent to $13 million. The exchange announced the breach on its official Telegram channel and website, attributing the sophisticated attack to state-backed entities from 'hostile nations'. According to Grinex, the attack's level of coordination and technical expertise suggests the involvement of 'unfriendly states' seeking to undermine Russia's financial autonomy.
The exchange had previously been sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU for its alleged role in helping users circumvent sanctions through a ruble-backed stablecoin called A7A5. Following the sanctions, the platform re-emerged as Grinex.
The temporary suspension of trading has left users without access to their funds, while the company conducts an investigation. Grinex has released a list of 54 affected wallet addresses, with most of the stolen funds being in the form of USDT on the TRON blockchain.