• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechCybersecurity

One of the Biggest Ethereum and Bitcoin Exchanges Got Hacked

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 5, 2017, 12:16 PM ET

Hackers have stolen user data and money from Bithumb, one of the top five biggest Ethereum and Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchanges, the company said Friday.

Bithumb said that the thieves stole a database of user information off the personal computer of an employee, rather than off the company’s internal network. The attackers allegedly nabbed the names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers (no passwords, apparently), of more than 31,800 customers, according to a Monday report from Yonhap, a South Korean news wire.

After discovering the breach, which affects roughly 3% of the site’s customers, Bithumb reported it to South Korean authorities on June 30, Yonhap said. The robbers have been targeting customers’ accounts in an effort to drain their digital currency wallets. The hackers have allegedly made off with hundreds of millions of South Korean won, or tens of thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrency, according to local media reports.

Bithumb said its corporate network had not been compromised and that the reason for the wallet thefts had to do with phishing attacks.

“The employee PC, not the head office server, was hacked. Personal information such as mobile phone and email address of some users were leaked. However, some customers were found to have been stolen from because of the disposable password used in electronic financial transactions,” the exchange said in statement, per a translation provided by Brave New Coin, a website that tracks digital currencies.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Since the end of June Bithumb customers have been complaining about attacks in posts on Naver.cafe, a South Korean social media site. One person reported to have lost 1.2 billion won, although the Fortune was unable to be verify the claim.

Bithumb said in a Monday notice that it would reimburse victims of the data leak 100,000 won, or about $87, per person. The exchange said it would also compensate people for additional losses related to the attacks.

“For those who have suffered additional damage due to this incident, as soon as the amount of damages is confirmed, we will reimburse the entire amount of damages,” Bithumb said in a note, rendered in English via Google Translate.

Bithumb did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for additional information.

Bithumb is South Korea’s top crypto exchange, and a leader globally for trading Ether, the cryptocurrency associated with the Ethereum computing network. The exchange rose to the number one spot globally in the days after due to increased trading activity

As the cryptocurrency sector booms, attackers are setting their sights on people’s digital currency wallets. Two months ago hackers pilfered Yapizon, another South Korean crypto exchange, to the tune of 3,816.20 Bitcoin, or more than $5.5 million. Attackers have also been targeting Coinbase, one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency brokerages in the United States.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is displayed outside a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. facility in Hawthorne, California.
Startups & VentureElon Musk
SpaceX has filed confidentially for IPO ahead of AI rivals
By Bailey Lipschultz, Edward Ludlow and BloombergApril 1, 2026
10 hours ago
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
CybersecurityYouTube
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
By Catherina GioinoApril 1, 2026
10 hours ago
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
Economydisruption
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
By Nick LichtenbergApril 1, 2026
11 hours ago
ntsb
LawAutos
Why hands-free systems in self-driving cars aren’t actually safer, according to the NTSB
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressApril 1, 2026
11 hours ago
Mike Wirth, chief executive officer of Chevron.
EnergyData centers
Microsoft and Chevron enter exclusivity deal on powering West Texas AI data center complex
By Jordan BlumApril 1, 2026
11 hours ago
A chip research center site operations manager stands next to a window overlooking the facility.
EnvironmentData centers
Data centers are so hot their ‘heat island’ effect is raising temperatures up to 6 miles away and impacting 343 million people worldwide, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergApril 1, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
17 hours ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
18 hours ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.