A Bithumb insider had reportedly taken out an unspecified amount of the EOS cryptocurrency from the major exchange at around 10 p.m. on March 29. The police and the Korea Internet Security Agency (KISA) started the investigation the next day following the Bithumb’s request.
Bithumb said the stolen cryptocurrency is part of its asset. It added that investors’ cryptocurrencies are stored safely in its Cold Wallet. Thus, the theft would not damage any investor.
Also, the exchange hopes that it would retake much of its stolen token through cooperation with the police and the other exchanges. The stolen amount is about $13 million.
Before the Bithumb’s announcement, the EOS Authority, which monitors the EOS, reported that somebody stole Bithumb’s private key, and stole 3 million EOS out of 53 million EOS the exchange retained.
Someone used Bithumb and the other five exchanges to move the EOS out of the Bithumb exchange.
A Bithumb spokesman suspects an insider, not a hacker, stole the EOS. He said it had not found any trace of hacking. He presumed a retiring employee might have committed the crime. The exchange had recently retired many employees in the cost-saving drive.
