Cryptocurrency hacks and scams are on the rise again with tens of millions of dollars being stolen.
Rho Markets, a lending protocol on the Scroll network, has fallen victim to a significant breach, resulting in the theft of over $7.6 million in USDC and USDT. This security incident was traced back to a compromised blockchain oracle, according to Cyvers, a blockchain security firm.
The attack follows a recent major breach of the Indian exchange WazirX, which lost $230 million to hackers earlier this month. This week has proven particularly challenging for the crypto sector, marking the second most profitable week for hackers in 2024.
In addition to the Rho Markets breach, other notable incidents include a July 16 attack on the Li.Fi protocol, which saw over $10 million drained through a smart contract exploit, and phishing attacks targeting users of the Telegram game Hamster Kombat, as reported by Kaspersky.
Over the past 13 years, nearly $19 billion in digital assets have been stolen across 785 hacks, with 2024 potentially surpassing previous years in terms of losses. The first quarter alone saw a 42% increase in stolen funds compared to the same period in 2023.
A U.S. court has handed down a 30-year prison sentence to Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, who was found guilty of financing terrorism through cryptocurrency.
A major chapter in crypto’s legal reckoning closed this week as Alex Mashinsky, once a prominent name in digital lending, received a 12-year prison sentence.
Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky is asking for a significantly reduced prison sentence ahead of his May 8 sentencing, with his legal team pushing back hard against the U.S. Department of Justice’s call for a 20-year term.
The legal battle against the creators of Samourai Wallet has taken a sharp turn, as defense attorneys accuse federal prosecutors of suppressing a key legal interpretation from the Treasury Department that could dismantle the core of the government’s case.