Infini, a stablecoin payment firm, lost $50 million in what appears to be an inside job.
Investigators suspect a former developer retained hidden admin access to exploit the system.
The attacker used 1 ETH from Tornado Cash to fund their wallet before draining nearly $50 million in USDC through a pre-planned contract. The stolen funds were quickly converted to DAI and then over 17,000 ETH to evade asset freezes.
Despite the breach, Infini did not halt withdrawals. Founder Christian Li assured users they would be reimbursed if necessary. Meanwhile, on-chain analyst ZachXBT linked the exploit to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, known for previous exchange hacks.
Authorities are now working to track the stolen assets, but given the attacker’s sophisticated laundering techniques, recovery remains uncertain.
The incident adds to growing concerns over security lapses in the crypto sector, following Bybit’s record-breaking $1.4 billion breach just days earlier.
The first quarter of 2025 has been marked by a significant surge in crypto hacks, with losses totaling over $1.63 billion.
In the past two weeks, Coinbase users may have fallen victim to phishing schemes resulting in an estimated $46 million in losses, as malicious actors continue to exploit the growing interest in cryptocurrency.
A South Korean court recently handed down prison sentences to three individuals involved in a cryptocurrency investment scam that defrauded investors of approximately $460,000.
Indian authorities recently apprehended five individuals, including one woman, involved in a sophisticated crypto scam that defrauded a businessman of nearly $700,000.