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South Korea's premier cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, has temporarily suspended all deposit and withdrawal services following the detection of an unauthorized transfer of approximately $37 million worth of Solana network tokens. The incident, which occurred early Thursday, has prompted the exchange to initiate a comprehensive security review and assures users that all losses will be covered.
Key Takeaways
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Upbit suspended deposits and withdrawals after a $37 million exploit involving Solana tokens.
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The exchange operator, Dunamu, has pledged to fully reimburse affected users.
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The incident occurred on the sixth anniversary of a previous major hack on Upbit.
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Affected tokens include various assets within the Solana ecosystem.
The Solana Token Incident
Upbit detected irregular withdrawal activity involving several Solana network tokens early on Thursday, November 27th. Approximately 54 billion won, equivalent to $37 million, was transferred to unauthorized wallets. The affected tokens span various projects within the Solana ecosystem, including but not limited to DoubleZero (2Z), Access Protocol (ACS), Bonk (BONK), Doodles (DOOD), Drift (DRIFT), Huma Finance (HUMA), Ionet (IO), Jito (JTO), Jupiter (JUP), Solayer (LAYER), and Magic Eden (ME).
Upbit's Response and User Protection
In response to the exploit, Upbit's operator, Dunamu, has taken immediate action to safeguard user assets. CEO Oh Kyung-seok apologized for the disruption and confirmed that the exchange will absorb the entire loss, ensuring that no damage occurs to customer assets. Measures implemented include transferring all assets to cold wallets to prevent further unauthorized transactions and initiating on-chain freezing protocols in cooperation with law enforcement. Notably, approximately 12 billion won worth of Solayer tokens has already been frozen.
Upbit is conducting a thorough security audit of its entire digital asset transfer systems. The exchange plans to gradually resume withdrawal services once security is fully confirmed. Users are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to customer support.
A Troubling Anniversary
The incident is particularly significant as it occurred almost exactly six years after Upbit experienced another major security breach on November 27, 2019. In that event, the exchange lost 342,000 ETH, valued at approximately $41.5 million at the time, a theft South Korea later attributed to North Korean hackers.
Broader Implications
The exploit comes at a sensitive time for Upbit, as reports indicate that its parent company, Dunamu, is nearing a potential acquisition by Korean internet giant Naver through a multibillion-dollar stock swap merger. This deal could pave the way for Upbit's public market debut. Financial authorities are reportedly preparing an on-site inspection to assess the situation.
Sources
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Korea's Upbit Suspends Deposit And Withdrawal Service After $37M in Abnormal Activity in Solana Tokens, Yahoo Finance.
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Crypto Exchange Upbit Hit By $36M Solana Exploit, On Anniversary Of Its 2019 Hack, Yahoo Finance.
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Crypto Exchange Upbit Hit by Exploit After $10 Billion Deal, Bloomberg.com.
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Upbit loses $36.9 mil. in hacking attack: CEO, The Korea Times.
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