Axie Inifinity’s Co-Founder Targeted by Hackers, Resulting in the Loss of Millions of Dollars
Two cryptocurrency wallets linked to Jeff “Jihoz” Zirlin, a co-founder of both Axie Infinity and Ronin Network, were breached, resulting in the theft of roughly $9.7 million worth of Ethereum.
The breach was reported by PeckShield, a blockchain investigator, who identified a compromise in a “whale wallet” via the Ronin Bridge. The hacker made off with 3,248 ETH.
Hacked or not hacked? @Ronin_Network
0x73f428e1037a310d472A24100dA37fB1d8dEC8B8
0x39F817976C51A91b60145feBad81067e69713105
0xA4017DE6460bD63a77404dd2C2344D6135eD13b2 https://t.co/WQxaY9n5OR pic.twitter.com/5KURCJAW77— PeckShieldAlert (@PeckShieldAlert) February 23, 2024
Aleksander Larsen, another co-founder of Ronin Network, emphasized the bridge’s security measures but suspected a wallet hack.
Zirlin later confirmed the breach, stating it wasn’t due to vulnerabilities in the Ronin chain or Sky Mavis operations. PeckShield attributed the breach to a “wallet compromise,” enabling unauthorized fund transfers.
The stolen ETH was split and moved across multiple wallets before landing in Tornado Cash, a service commonly used by hackers to anonymize funds.
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Additionally, Binance froze $4.2 million worth of stolen XRP, part of a $112 million hack involving Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen’s wallet.
Unlike the Axie Infinity incident, the perpetrator didn’t use crypto mixer services or decentralized exchanges, allowing Binance to trace and block some of the funds.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is an experienced finance journalist and a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast. With over five years of experience covering the industry, he deeply understands the complex and constantly evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His passionate approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and insightful content. Follow up on his content to be up to date with the most important trends and topics - stay ahead of the curve with CoinsPress.
