More than $60m worth of bitcoin was stolen from one of the world's largest digital currency exchanges yesterday, and nearly 24 hours later, the event is still shrouded in mystery.
What is clear, though, is that the impact is far-reaching.
The Bitfinex theft represents the largest loss of bitcoins by an exchange since Japan's infamous Mt Gox lost 744,408 BTC in early 2014 (worth $350m), a breach that would ultimately cause it to cease operations.
At press time, the value of the 119,756 BTC stolen from Bitfinex stands at roughly $66m, or about 18% of what was lost by Mt Gox.
Given the size, the theft has sparked confusion and frustration among market traders and observers since it was announced.
Sources close to the exchange have largely avoided offering comment on whether the 119,756 BTC stolen represents the full extent of the hack, and Bitfinex itself has yet to publish any findings from its ongoing internal investigation.
CoinDesk
What is clear, though, is that the impact is far-reaching.
The Bitfinex theft represents the largest loss of bitcoins by an exchange since Japan's infamous Mt Gox lost 744,408 BTC in early 2014 (worth $350m), a breach that would ultimately cause it to cease operations.
At press time, the value of the 119,756 BTC stolen from Bitfinex stands at roughly $66m, or about 18% of what was lost by Mt Gox.
Given the size, the theft has sparked confusion and frustration among market traders and observers since it was announced.
Sources close to the exchange have largely avoided offering comment on whether the 119,756 BTC stolen represents the full extent of the hack, and Bitfinex itself has yet to publish any findings from its ongoing internal investigation.
CoinDesk
