Mercado Bitcoin, a leading Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange, confirmed the detection of a security incident within its systems early Monday morning, November 2. In an official statement released via its X profile, the company clarified that the event did not result in financial losses for clients nor any leakage of personal data.
As a protective measure, Mercado Bitcoin has temporarily suspended all deposit and withdrawal operations. The exchange stated that its internal teams are fully mobilized to investigate the situation, trace the movement of assets, and coordinate response measures with relevant authorities and partners. The company reiterated its commitment to maintaining the security of user assets throughout this process.
This incident occurs shortly after a major cyberattack on Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, which resulted in the theft of approximately $6.3 billion in digital assets. That breach, identified by the FBI as the largest digital asset heist in history, was attributed to North Korean hackers linked to the TraderTraitor group. The attack took place over roughly 20 minutes starting late on Thursday, November 29.
Following the Binance incident, the exchange resumed operations last Sunday, November 1, after customers withdrew $3.64 billion, representing 2.1% of their total assets. Binance has since confirmed that it has covered 95% of the stolen funds. The FBI noted that the TraderTraitor group likely attempted to move the stolen resources through decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and instant cryptocurrency conversion services.
Sources: CNN Brasil.