Massive Cyber Heist Hits Iran’s Top Crypto Exchange — Hackers Leak Source Code, Steal ₹780 Crore

Tehran (The Uttam Hindu): Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex, has been hit by a massive cyberattack in which hackers siphoned off over $90 million (approximately ₹780.59 crore). Blockchain analysis firms have potentially linked the attack to Israel. A group claiming responsibility for the hack publicly released Nobitex’s entire source code online on Thursday. The group wrote on its Telegram account, “Assets left in Nobitex are now completely public.”

This cyberattack comes amid ongoing military tensions between Iran and Israel. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic stated in a blog post that the stolen funds were transferred to crypto wallet addresses linked to messages critical of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Elliptic believes the motive behind the attack was not financial gain but to send a political message. The accounts receiving the funds appear intended to politically target Nobitex and delegitimize the use of cryptocurrency in Iran.

The hacker group “Gonjeshke Darande” took responsibility for the attack on social media platform X, accusing Nobitex of helping the Iranian government evade Western sanctions and fund terrorists. Nobitex has confirmed the incident, stating in a social media post that both its app and website were down due to “unauthorized access” to its systems.

Andrew Fierman, Head of National Security Intelligence at Chainalysis, said that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and others on the Nobitex exchange were affected by the breach. He noted the significance of this incident given the relatively small size of Iran’s crypto market.

Elliptic further claimed that relatives of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were also linked to Nobitex, and that members of the sanctioned Revolutionary Guard had used the platform. The firm shared some evidence in support of these claims.