Binance Trolls Bitfinex it Loses 400,000 Customers Data

Bitfinex recently gained more attention after a ransomware group claimed it exfiltrated over 2.5TB of data from the exchange.

The group said the data included trading data and the personal details of around 400,000 users. Additionally, the hackers threaten to release all users’ KYC information if the trading platform fails to pay a ransom.

This alarming situation has sent shockwaves throughout the crypto community. FSociety has posted its claim on the dark web, specifically its onion site, and has even shared links to text files containing a list of usernames and plaintext passwords.

Interestingly, some Bitfinex users, including individuals associated with significant trading firms such as Alameda Research, have reported that their details do not appear in the leaked data.

Binance Trolls Bitfinex

Amidst reports of the Bitfinex hack, the Binance social media team felt it appropriate to remind the crypto community that security is its top priority. In response, some crypto proponents called out an attempt to troll the exchange.

The sheer volume of data they claim to possess suggests that they could have every KYC record since Bitfinex’s inception. A closer look at the leaked data reveals numerous email domains, with public domains such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook being the most common.

However, coinfarm.co.za is a peculiar standout in the list, which could hint at the targeted trimming of more sensitive or valuable accounts from the bulk data. The community reacted strongly to this news and tagged Bitfinex’s CTO, Paolo Ardoino, to address these claims.

In response, Ardoino expressed skepticism about the breach’s origin, suggesting the data is not from Bitfinex. Ardoino pointed out that out of the 22.5k email-password pairs posted, only about 5k match Bitfinex accounts, which would be unlikely if the data were directly from their databases.

The trading platform asserted that it was never contacted by the threat actors, which contradicts typical ransomware protocol where hackers would reach out to negotiate. Despite the lack of direct extortion attempts towards Bitfinex, the hackers have made the compromised data downloadable.

Notably, Ardoino has reassured the community that an extensive analysis is underway to ascertain the integrity of Bitfinex’s systems.