A significant Bitcoin theft has recently come to light, involving the unauthorized transfer of approximately 3,520 BTC, valued at over $330 million. The incident was identified by blockchain investigator ZachXBT, who noted that the stolen funds were swiftly funneled through multiple instant exchanges and converted into Monero (XMR), a cryptocurrency known for its privacy features.
This large-scale conversion is believed to have contributed to a notable increase in Monero’s price, which saw a 50% spike, reaching an intraday high of $339. Although the price has since stabilized, XMR remains up by 25% over the past 24 hours, currently trading at $259.
When questioned about potential involvement from North Korea’s Lazarus Group, ZachXBT dismissed the theory, suggesting that independent hackers are more likely responsible for the theft.
In response to concerns about the use of privacy coins in illicit activities, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis commented that the majority of criminal transactions still rely on mainstream cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. They also noted that privacy coins, while offering anonymity, present challenges for criminals due to reduced liquidity and limited acceptance on major exchanges.
Interestingly, this incident coincides with Monero’s growing adoption in the retail sector. Two Spar supermarket locations in Switzerland have recently begun accepting XMR for payments, facilitated by partnerships with DFX Swiss and OpenCryptoPay. A customer shared their experience of purchasing organic cacao using Monero at a Spar store in Kreuzlingen.
This development highlights the dual nature of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Monero, which are gaining traction for legitimate uses while also being scrutinized for their potential role in concealing illicit transactions.
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