Nobitex, Iran's largest cryptocurrency exchange, recently fell victim to a significant hack amounting to over $81 million across various blockchain networks. The attack involved the use of vanity addresses to exploit platform vulnerabilities and was claimed by an Israeli hacker group threatening to leak the exchange's code.

ZachXBT Investigates Nobitex Attack

On-chain analyst ZachXBT was the first to notice suspicious activity on the Tron [TRX] network, with an initial outflow of $48.65 million that spread to other EVM-compatible blockchains. The attackers utilized two customized vanity addresses, one of which siphoned off $49 million, raising concerns about Nobitex's security.

The first address was named "TKFuckiRGCTerroristsNoBiTEXy2r7mNX," while the second was "0xffFFfFFffFFffFfFffFFfFfFfFFFFfFfFFFFDead."

Nobitex's Response

Nobitex acknowledged a security breach affecting its hot wallets and suspended compromised wallets to prevent further asset movement. The exchange assured users that their assets are safe according to cold storage standards and that all losses will be compensated through insurance and internal reserves.

Despite these assurances, Iran's crypto community criticized Nobitex for its lack of caution, suggesting stronger security measures could have prevented the exploit. The exchange temporarily shut down its website and app for a thorough investigation.

Political Involvement and Threats

The situation escalated when a pro-Israel group named "Gonjeshke Darande" claimed responsibility for the hack, threatening to leak the exchange's source code and files within 24 hours. This incident adds to a year already marked by 18 high-profile crypto hacks, highlighting industry vulnerabilities.

As a result of the hack, Bitcoin [BTC] briefly surged to $108,000 amid geopolitical tensions but later dropped to $105,000 as fears eased.