Axie Infinity Co-Founder Loses $9.7 Million in Ethereum Due to Wallet Breach
Jeff “Jihoz” Zirlin, co-founder of Axie Infinity, faced a significant setback as he lost approximately $9.7 million in Ethereum due to a breach of two of his personal cryptocurrency wallets. The incident was first reported by the blockchain security company PeckShield on February 23, revealing the theft of 3,248 Ethereum, which was subsequently laundered using the Tornado Cash cryptocurrency mixing service.
Initially suspected to involve the Ronin bridge, a critical component facilitating asset transfer between Ethereum and the Ronin sidechain, Alexander Larsen, another co-founder of the Ronin Network, clarified that the bridge’s security systems were intact. This indicates that the breach occurred due to security vulnerabilities within the wallet. Jeff “Jihoz” Zirlin later confirmed that the attack did not exploit any weaknesses in the Ronin chain or Sky Mavis operations, the parent company behind Axie Infinity.
Axie Infinity Affirms Security Measures Post-Breach
In the aftermath of the incident, PeckShield’s investigation revealed that the infiltrator managed to split the stolen ETH among three different wallets before transferring the assets through Tornado Cash. This money laundering method complicates the tracing of funds and poses challenges to the potential recovery of stolen assets due to the identity-hiding features provided by mixing services. The use of such services by malicious entities presents significant challenges to blockchain security and the retrieval of unlawfully acquired assets.
In response to the breach, Zirlin reassured the community and stakeholders about the stringent security measures in place for all activities within the Axie Infinity ecosystem. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges individuals and organizations face in securing digital assets against unauthorized access and theft. Notably, the Ronin bridge, pre-audited and equipped with mechanisms to temporarily halt operations in case of unusually large withdrawal transactions, remained uncompromised, reinforcing the idea that the infrastructure security of the blockchain can be robust. However, the security of individual wallets remains a critical vulnerability.
Broader Impacts and Industry Response
Zirlin’s wallet theft is not an isolated incident within the cryptocurrency space. It follows a pattern of prominent breaches and security violations plaguing the industry. For instance, on January 31, Chris Larsen, one of the founders of Ripple, fell victim to a hack resulting in the theft of $112 million worth of XRP from his wallet. Zirlin, unlike the perpetrator in Larsen’s case, did not use mixing services, allowing Binance to freeze approximately $4.2 million of the stolen funds.
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This incident underscores the importance of advanced security measures for individual wallet holders and the broader ecosystem of cryptocurrencies. It also sheds light on the role of cryptocurrency exchanges and blockchain analysis companies in mitigating the impact of such breaches. The community’s response, including efforts by entities like Binance to prevent access to stolen funds, demonstrates the potential for collaborative action in addressing security challenges.
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