Mark Cuban Falls Victim to Hackers, Losing Hundreds of Thousands in Cryptocurrency
A hot wallet belonging to American entrepreneur Mark Cuban has been targeted by hackers who managed to steal a significant amount of cryptocurrency. The billionaire confirmed the attack to crypto media, revealing that the suspicious activity was first noticed by blockchain investigator WazzCrypto on Friday. The wallet had been inactive for 160 days before the incident.
The Theft
Within minutes, the hackers drained the wallet of various cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins and tokens, totaling $870,000. The transaction history on Etherscan identified the affected wallet as ‘Mark Cuban 2.’
Cuban’s Response
Cuban admitted to DL News that his wallet had indeed been hacked. He speculated that he may have downloaded a compromised version of Metamask. Furthermore, the wallet crashed multiple times during the attack. In response, Cuban transferred his remaining assets to Coinbase Custody and locked his non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Opensea.
The Silver Lining
In a subsequent transaction, around $2 million worth of USDC was sent to another wallet. However, Cuban managed to transfer this amount to Coinbase without the hacker realizing. Crypto intelligence firm Arkham highlighted this fortunate outcome, emphasizing that the damage could have been much worse.
Previous Crypto Troubles
This is not the first time Mark Cuban has encountered difficulties in the crypto space. In 2021, he suffered losses due to an investment in Iron Finance, which led to the evaporation of its stablecoin called titan and wiped out his holdings.
Hacks in the Crypto Community
Other prominent figures in the crypto community have also fallen victim to hacking incidents. Recently, Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum, had his X account breached in a SIM swap attack, resulting in the promotion of a crypto scam and losses of over $690,000 for those who were deceived.
Hot Take: Mark Cuban’s Metamask Wallet Hack Highlights Ongoing Security Risks
The recent hacking incident involving Mark Cuban’s Metamask wallet serves as a reminder of the persistent security risks faced by individuals in the crypto space. Despite increased awareness and efforts to strengthen cybersecurity measures, hackers continue to exploit vulnerabilities and target high-profile individuals. This incident underscores the importance of remaining vigilant, using trusted platforms and wallets, and regularly updating software to protect one’s digital assets. As the crypto industry evolves, it is crucial for users to prioritize security practices to mitigate potential risks and safeguard their investments.