- Iranian crypto exchange hit by pro-Israel hackers
- $90m of Bitcoin and other coins intentionally burned
What happened: Hackers target Nobitex during rising Iran–Israel tensions
Hackers, linked to Israel’s Predatory Sparrow group, breached Iran’s top crypto platform Nobitex on 18 June 2025. They transferred roughly $90 million in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin to unusable wallets. The wallets had messages condemning Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Chainalysis and Elliptic confirmed the event and found links between stolen funds and sanctioned groups such as Hamas and the IRGC.
Nobitex shut down its website and app to review unauthorised access. This attack followed a similar hack on Iran’s Bank Sepah a day earlier. It came amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, including missile exchanges after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
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Why it’s important
The hack highlights growing use of cyber tools in state-level conflict. The act of burning crypto assets served as a political statement. Smart money firms may tighten security around geopolitical risk. Users of platforms in conflict zones may face higher threats. Pressure mounts on crypto exchanges to implement stronger defences. Countries may revisit crypto regulation after this targeted attack. The incident shows how digital finance intersects with security and diplomacy.
