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The Dutch cryptocurrency exchange Bitonic reported a hacker attack that occurred on Sunday, October 25. The attackers gained unauthorized access to the platform’s systems and withdrew «a small amount of Bitcoin» from three customer accounts. The exchange has not disclosed the exact number of coins stolen.
During the investigation, the Bitonic team determined that the hackers were able to alter data in the exchange’s systems, including the login credentials for two accounts. Platform representatives also cannot rule out the possibility that the attackers accessed the personal data of other customers, though this has not yet been confirmed.
In response to the attack, Bitonic promptly shut down the compromised systems and its hot wallet. Security experts have already fixed the vulnerability and restored the platform’s operations. The exchange’s cold wallets were not affected. Bitonic contacted the affected customers and fully reimbursed them for the stolen bitcoins. Regulatory authorities have also been notified of the incident.
The exchange has urged users to strengthen their account security. In particular, Bitonic recommends switching from email or SMS verification to a dedicated authentication app (TOTP) and updating passwords if they have been used on other services or were not secure enough. Additionally, they advise setting up a temporary block on Bitcoin withdrawals and a personal anti-phishing phrase to identify official emails from the exchange. The Bitonic team has assured users that it will never ask for a password or request that Bitcoin be transferred to another address.
The attack on Bitonic occurred amid a series of high-profile hacks of crypto exchanges. In September, the Bitget exchange fell victim to hackers, losing over $ 351 million. The platform’s CEO, Gracie Chen, believes North Korean hackers may be behind the attack. Last year, the Bybit exchange suffered an even larger attack—attackers withdrew $ 1.4 billion from a single multi-signature cold wallet.