Pro-Israel Hackers Burn $90 Million Stolen From Iran Exchange

A pro-Israel hacking group has claimed responsibility for the destruction of over $90 million in cryptocurrency allegedly stolen from Iran's largest exchange, Nobitex. The group, known as "Gonjeshke Darande" (also referred to as Predatory Sparrow), stated that they rendered the funds inaccessible by utilizing "vanity addresses" from which the assets cannot be retrieved.

In a June 18th update on X, the group announced that assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin were sent to these unspendable blockchain addresses. Some of these addresses even contained messages critical of Iran, such as "FuckIRGCTerroristsNoBiTEX."

One of the Bitcoin wallets employed in the operation features an invalid checksum, while Ethereum tokens were reportedly sent to the "0x…dead" burn address, a common method for permanently removing tokens from circulation.

This action follows recent Israeli airstrikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities, underscoring the increasing relevance of cryptocurrency in international conflicts. The hackers have accused Nobitex of assisting the Iranian regime in circumventing sanctions and financing terrorism.

Blockchain security firms, including Chainalysis, have corroborated that the funds were not moved to exchanges or mixers, but were, in fact, burned – making them irretrievable.

Nobitex has responded by asserting that all user funds remain secure in cold storage. The platform also stated that it had emptied its hot wallets as a precautionary measure and possesses sufficient reserves to cover any potential losses.

The hacking group has further threatened to release Nobitex's source code and details of its internal systems, advising users to withdraw their funds as quickly as possible. Nobitex, serving over 11 million users, faces mounting pressure as cyber tensions escalate.