Hackers steal $32 million worth of crypto from Japanese exchange Bitpoint

Another day, another...you know.
By Stan Schroeder  on 
Hackers steal $32 million worth of crypto from Japanese exchange Bitpoint
Bitcoin is pretty safe. Exchanges, less so. Credit: Thomas Trutschel / getty images

Keeping your cryptocurrency at exchanges, unless you absolutely must do so, still isn't prudent.

New proof of that comes from Japan, where cryptocurrency exchange Bitpoint has been hacked to the tune of $32 million, CoinDesk reports.

In a notice on its website, Bitpoint said it has "identified an unauthorized outflow of virtual currency," which is why it has stopped trading as well as opening new accounts, in order to find the cause and minimize damage.

A more detailed document from Bitpoint's parent company Remixpoint says $23 million of the stolen funds belonged to the exchange's customers. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Remixpoint plans to compensate those customers.

There's no word on which coins were stolen, but CoinDesk says that Bitpoint offered trading in five cryptocurrencies; Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and XRP.

Cryptocurrency exchanges getting hacked isn't new, but the last couple of months have been particularly bad. Days ago, Singaporean crypto exchange Bitrue was hacked to the tune of $4.2 million. In May, Binance lost approximately $40 million due to a hack.

Bitpoint also isn't the first Japanese exchange to get hacked. In Sept. 2018, Japan's Zaif suffered the same fate, with hackers making off with $59 million worth of coins, and in Jan. 2018, another Japanese exchange, Coincheck, lost a devastating $424 million in a hack.

Stan Schroeder
Stan Schroeder
Senior Editor

Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He's got more battery-powered gadgets and band t-shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing. Typically, this is a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.


Recommended For You
TikTok for Business: Everything you need to know
TikTok for Business


Get up to 25% off sitewide at Solawave
Woman using Solawave



Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 19
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 19
Closeup view of crossword puzzle clues

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 19
a phone displaying Wordle


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 18
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!