New Zealand Crypto Exchange Cryptopia Goes Offline Citing Hack

New Zealand-based cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia has gone offline claiming "significant" losses arising from a hack.

AccessTimeIconJan 15, 2019 at 9:45 a.m. UTC
Updated Sep 13, 2021 at 8:48 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

New Zealand-based cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia has gone offline citing a major hack.

The exchange announced the news on Twitter this morning, stating that it “suffered a security breach which resulted in significant losses.”

No information has yet been provided on the value of the losses, the tokens and currencies affected or any measures to refund users.

The exchange's website, including support and blog pages, is currently completely offline, with a notice stating: "Cryptopia is currently in unscheduled maintenance mode. We will be back soon."

Meanwhile, tweets from Whale Alert on Saturday indicated that 19,391 ether (ETH) tokens worth nearly $2.44 million and around 48 million centrality (CENNZ) tokens worth about $1.18 million were transferred from Cryptopia to unknown wallets on Jan. 13. It is not currently clear if those funds were moved by the hacker or by the exchange.

Cryptopia further mentioned in its tweet that it has notified and involved relevant government agencies, including the New Zealand police and the High-Tech Crimes Unit, who are “jointly and actively investigating the matter as a major crime and they are assisting us with advice.”

The announcement further reads:

“Until this has been carried out, The Cryptopia Exchange will remain in maintenance mode, with trading suspended. We are committed to getting this resolved as quickly as possible and will keep you all updated every step of the way.”

Hacker image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.