WazirX Offers $24-Million Bounty To Recover The $230 Million Stolen In Cyber Attack

WazirX, the Indian cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a $24-million bounty to recover cash lost in a cyber attack on one of its wallets, amounting to $230 million in digital assets on July 18.

The exchange has also invited white hat hackers, blockchain experts and cybersecurity experts to join bounty program, according to a statement. This is the largest bounty announced for such a program.

Following the breach last Thursday, the company temporarily paused rupee and crypto withdrawals on account of safety.

According to Elliptic, a British blockchain analytics business, the attack seems to have been carried out by North Korean hackers. The stolen money accounts for more than 45% of WazirX's $500 million holdings, as disclosed in a June report.

According to blockchain data maintained by Lookonchain, the theft comprised more than $100 million in Shiba Inu tokens, $52 million in Ethereum, $11 million in Matic's MATIC, and $6 million in Pepe.

The Indian Finance Ministry had declined to comment on the WazirX attack or its consequences for the country's crypto ecosystem.