- Workers from a client company of Binance were kidnapped.
- CZ responded quickly, and made a public announcement on X.
Binance’s [BNB] CEO CZ shared that executives from a client company they partnered with were kidnapped in Montenegro. Their crypto accounts were emptied, resulting in a total loss of $12.5 million.
CZ moves swiftly
In response, CZ stated that they observed the attackers’ on-chain activities and worked with other crypto exchanges to freeze the culprits’ wallets. All the stolen funds were in USDT and was transferred to a Tron wallet after the theft.
Executives from a client were lured on a ‘business trip’ to Montenegro, where they were abducted and forced to empty their wallets. Total loss ~$12.5m.
We investigated the on chain activities and reached out to our partners earlier today to have the wallet frozen, as all of the…
— CZ
Binance (@cz_binance) November 10, 2023
CZ stated that they froze $11.8 million of the $12.5 million stolen in crypto. However, this situation raised questions within the crypto community.
I really condemn this loss and happy coz most of the money is safe but I have a question @cz_binance
In fiat banks, everyone say that those guys can freeze money at any time without any reason
How crypto is better if someone can still freeze our personal wallet??Simple…
— Crypto Eagles (@CryptoProject6) November 10, 2023
To address these concerns, CZ explained the importance of finding a balance. He stated that achieving the perfect balance is hard. He also mentioned that dealing with theft is complex in a system that can’t be completely frozen.
CZ also mentioned that using privacy coins like Monero (XMR) could prevent such freezes. Nevertheless, once funds are stolen, they cannot be returned. He further noted that Bitcoin can be tracked but can’t be frozen unless moved to centralized exchanges.
Possible impacts
Incidents like this can attract attention from regulators, leading to inquiries into Binance’s security practices. A security breach can harm Binance’s reputation and deter new users from the platform.
Realistic or not, here’s BNB’s market cap in BTC terms
Legally, Binance might face consequences, possibly involving legal actions, fines, or settlements. Operationally, they may need to invest heavily in beefing up security, which can be challenging.
Recovering stolen funds or compensating affected users could also have financial impacts. Markets can sway due to these types of news, affecting trading volumes and token prices. Users might also reconsider their choice of exchange.
