Ahackermayhavestolenover$20millionworthofcrypto,includingstablecoinsandEthereum(ETH),fromaUSgovernment-controlledwalletconnectedtotheinfamous2016Bitfinexhack.
ThesuspicioustransfersoccurredonOct.24,raisingalarmsamongblockchainanalysts,includingZachXBT,whocalledthetransfers“nefarious”andhintedatpossibletheft.
ArkhamIntelligencefirstflaggedthetransfersfromthewallet,whichhadbeendormantforeightmonthsbeforeitsuddenlymoved$1.25millioninTether(USDT)and$5.5millioninUSDCoin(USDC)fromtheDeFiplatformAave.
Additionally,around$13.7millioninaUSDC—aninterest-bearingtokenrepresentingUSDCdepositedinAave—alongwith$446,000worthofEthereum,wassenttoarecentlycreatedwallet.
ThefundshadbeenseizedbyUSauthoritiesaspartoftheinvestigationintothe2016Bitfinexhack,inwhichover$3.6billionindigitalassetswerestolen.Followingtheseizure,thegovernment-heldwallethadreceivedsignificantamountsofcrypto.
Furtheranalysisrevealedthatapproximately$320,000worthofEthereumwassenttovariousexchanges,whileanother$80,000wasdistributedacrossmultiplesmallerwallets.Thewalletthatreceivedthesefundshadbeencreatedonlydaysbeforethetransfer,intensifyingconcernsaboutthesuspiciousnatureofthetransactions.
Asofpresstime,theDepartmentofJusticehasnotcommentedonthesituationorprovidedinformationregardingthetransfers.Analystsandblockchainexpertsarecontinuingtomonitorthemovementofthefundsastheinvestigationunfolds.
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