Ethereum (ETH) has surged over 2.3% in the past 24 hours, outperforming the CoinDesk 20 Index, which gained just 0.76%, while Bitcoin (BTC) dipped by 0.3%. The rise follows reports that Bybit, the crypto exchange hacked for $1.5 billion in ETH and staked ETH by North Korean group Lazarus, has transferred $100 million in USDT to new addresses, using half to buy 36,900 ETH over-the-counter. Crypto journalist Colin Wu, citing Arkham Intelligence, reported that the funds—worth around $101 million—were later sent to addresses linked to an exchange.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou reassured users that the platform’s assets exceed $1.5 billion, with a cold wallet containing nearly $3 billion in USDT. The hacker now holds about 489,000 ETH, valued at $1.34 billion, making it the 14th-largest ETH holder. These addresses are being closely monitored and blacklisted by major exchanges.
StealthEX CEO Maria Carola stated that the stolen funds are flagged, making them difficult to use, with any transfer attempts to major exchanges leading to immediate blocks. Some analysts believe the 0.4% of ETH supply controlled by the hacker is effectively lost.
Source: Swifteradio.com
