A prominent cryptocurrency exchange, Grinex, has halted all operations after falling victim to a sophisticated cyber attack, resulting in the theft of approximately 1 billion rubles, equivalent to $13 million. The breach was disclosed through the exchange's Telegram channel and an official statement on its website, attributing the attack to state-sponsored entities from 'hostile nations'. According to Grinex, the nature and scope of the attack suggest an unprecedented level of technological expertise and resources, typically reserved for state-affiliated structures.
'The digital evidence and characteristics of the attack imply an extraordinary level of resources and technology, exclusively available to the structures of hostile states,' the statement reads. 'Preliminary data indicates that the attack was coordinated to directly compromise Russia's financial sovereignty.' Grinex, originally operating as Garantex, was sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU last year for allegedly facilitating the circumvention of restrictions through a ruble-backed stablecoin called A7A5. This token enabled cross-border transactions after Russia's access to the Swift inter-bank messaging system was severed due to its invasion of Ukraine. Following the sanctions, the platform re-emerged as Grinex.
As a result of the suspension, users are currently unable to access their funds while the company conducts an investigation. Furthermore, access to its Moscow office has been restricted.
Grinex has released a list of 54 affected wallet addresses, along with the corresponding amounts that were drained, primarily in the form of USDT on the TRON blockchain.