• BingX’s hot wallet was hacked resulting in the theft of $43 million in cryptocurrencies
• Funds stolen included ETH, BNB, USDT, and over 300 other coins and tokens
• On-chain data shows the attacker quickly swapped most of the assets for Ethereum and BNB

BingX has been hacked, with the security breach resulting in the draining of $43 million from the Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange’s hot wallet.

Blockchain security firm PeckShield reported on the exploit early Friday.

Etherscan data indicates that of the $43 million stolen, over $13.2 million was ETH, more than $2.3 million was BNB, and more than $4.4 million was USDT. The hacker also drained BingX’s hot wallet of 360 other coins – with these swapped into ETH and BNB at decentralized exchanges including Uniswap and KyberSwap.

BingX suspends withdrawals

Vivien Lin, CEO of BingX, confirmed the incident via an update posted on X.

Lin noted that the exchange’s technical team detected the breach around 4:00 am on September 20, identifying an “abnormal network access.” The BingX security team immediately initiated the platform’s emergency plans, including urgently transferring assets from the hot wallet and halting withdrawals, Lin noted.

“To ensure security, withdrawals have been temporarily suspended while we conduct an emergency inspection and strengthen wallet services,” Lin added. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Withdrawals will be restored within 24 hours at the latest.”

The BingX CEO also assured users that the exchange is safe.

Q3: Is the platform still safe?
Answer: The platform is operating normally, and you can continue trading, using grid strategies, and financial services as usual. Only the wallet is currently under maintenance. Your funds are safe, so please be patient while the wallet…

— Vivien Lin @ BingX (@Vivien_BingX) September 20, 2024

According to BingX, the losses are “only minor” and that most of the users’ funds are in cold storage.

One of the biggest exploits on a crypto exchange in 2024 happened in July when hackers stole over $230 million from India-based cryptocurrency exchange WazirX. The attacker has managed to launder most of the funds, the latest being $6.5 million sent to Tornado Cash.

Ethereum holders are definitely being tested by some tough times, with recent price action failing to create a bullish perspective for the digital asset. One of the major disappointments has been the performance of spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which were launched in the U.S. with great fanfare. These ETFs were seen by numerous market participants as the key that could unlock significant upward movement for Ethereum. Since their introduction, they have not delivered the expected results, leaving investors frustrated.

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise, a popular crypto index fund manager, continues to maintain a positive ETH outlook. According to him, Ethereum is still at the forefront of blockchain applications that are seeing breakthrough success.

This Is Not The End For Ethereum

The lack of positive momentum in the Ethereum market has been enough to shake the confidence of seasoned investors. The combination of uncertain macroeconomic factors, rising competition from Solana and other blockchains, and the unmet expectations surrounding the Ethereum ETFs has contributed to the pessimistic outlook for the digital asset. 

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Among the optimists is Matt Hougan, who shared his views in a recent memo. Hougan has maintained a bullish outlook on Ethereum, standing firm in his belief that the current challenges are only temporary and that the asset still has the potential to rebound. Hougan argues that although Ethereum has fallen behind Bitcoin and Solana’s year-to-date growth of 38% and 31%, respectively, the cryptocurrency’s long-term prospects remain strong.

In his memo, Hougan highlighted ETH’s continued dominance as the leading blockchain for decentralized applications (dApps), stating that it retains the lion’s share of activity among developers building on blockchain technology. He went as far as to liken Ethereum to the “Microsoft of blockchains.” 

To support his claim, Hougan pointed to notable examples of Ethereum’s adoption by major companies. One such example is BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund, which launched in March 2024 and now has more than $500 million in assets under management. Another example is Nike’s Web3 gear platform called .Swoosh. 

Ethereum has the most active developers and users. As such, Hougan believes the blockchain will be first on the radar of the next large traditional company wanting to do a blockchain product.

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What’s Next For ETH?

According to Hougan, Ethereum is a contrarian bet for the rest of the year. What this basically means is that he expects Ethereum to go against the ongoing market sentiment and surprise many investors with a bullish run by the end of the year. 

At the time of writing, ETH is trading at $2,440 and is up by 5.2% in the past 24 hours. This recent uptick brings Ethereum close to testing a key resistance level at $2,450 once again.

Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

• Bitcoin’s price has surged 5.6%, hitting a three-week high of $61.1K on Tuesday morning
• Altcoins like Celestia, Immutable X, and Near have seen double-digit percentage gains
• Crypto stocks rose modestly ahead of the Fed’s expected rate cut announcement

Bitcoin’s price has surged to its highest level in three weeks, triggering gains across the cryptocurrency sector and related stocks.

It soared 5.6%, reaching $61.1K before returning to around $61k.

The surge marks a sharp reversal from the quiet start to the week, signalling renewed interest in digital assets.

Altcoins and Bitcoin price soaring ahead of Fed cuts

Besides Bitcoin, other major cryptocurrencies have also seen significant gains, with Ethereum (ETH) advancing 4.2% to $2.38K.

Notably, some altcoins have outpaced the larger tokens. For example, Celestia (TIA) has seen a 15.7% increase, Immutable X (IMX) has risen by 14.8%, Near Protocol (NEAR) is up 9%, Uniswap (UNI) has climbed 8.9%, and Sui (SUI) has gained 8.1%.

The rally comes just ahead of the Federal Reserve’s highly anticipated decision on interest rates.

Market analysts widely expect the central bank to lower rates for the first time in four years. With inflation largely under control and the labour market showing signs of cooling, many believe the Fed will adopt a more accommodative stance.

Lower interest rates are typically bullish for cryptocurrencies, as reduced borrowing costs make traditional savings and investment vehicles less attractive. As a result, investors often turn to riskier assets like cryptocurrencies in search of higher returns.

Crypto-focused stocks also surge

Crypto-focused stocks have also benefited from Bitcoin’s rally, though their gains were generally more modest compared to digital tokens.

MicroStrategy (MSTR), a company known for holding large reserves of Bitcoin, inched up by 0.6%.

Crypto exchange platform Coinbase Global (COIN) has risen by 3%, while crypto investment firm Galaxy Digital (OTCPK) has gained 5.4%.

In the crypto mining sector, Riot Platforms (RIOT) has advanced 2.4%, MARA Holdings (MARA) has risen by 1.9%, and HIVE Digital Technologies (HIVE) has climbed 4.3%. Bit Digital (BTBT) saw the largest jump, gaining 13%, followed by Hut 8 (HUT) with a 6.6% rise, and CleanSpark (CLSK) up 3.1%.

As the broader stock market also experience buying pressure ahead of the Federal Reserve’s pivotal decision, the crypto sector continues to ride the wave of optimism surrounding the potential for lower rates and increased investment in digital assets.