Bitcoin Claims Another Victim in Online Heist of $5m
It isn't even a week into 2015 and another Bitcoin exchange has taken a hit. It came to light on January 4 that the Slovenian Bitcoin exchange BitStamp had been hacked to the tune of 19,000 BTC or a cool $5m.
The company first noticed a discrepancy in their operational wallets and took a closer look. The majority of their holdings are held on air-gaped computers but a small percentage are still connected to their site directly and some of these are the ones that were taken.
Bitstamp Change Home Page
BitStamp have altered their home page giving a detailed explanation of the current situation. All current trading has been halted while a full investigation is under way. The theft would have been for a larger amount but for the fact that the cryptocurrency has been in free fall much of 2014 having peaked near $1,000 and dropped to $270 over just a few months. If it wasn't for that, the cost of the hack would have been closer to $19 million.
The company has confirmed that balances that existed prior to the suspension of their trading service are unaffected and will be honored by Bitstamp.
The CEO Nejc KodriÄ apologized in a tweet on January 5 for the service at Bitstamp being temporarily suspended.
Bitcoin Still Gaining Growing Acceptance
Despite the occasional Bitcoin exchange hack, the cryptocurrency continues to grow in acceptance. Even software stalwart Microsoft has begun accepting Bitcoin for its Windows software, Xbox games, music and video content, along with the Windows Phone. Many smaller online players also accept the upstart currency because enough customers are now interested in paying with their Bitcoins. The Australian government is also now looking at imposing a tax on its citizens for any position in the currency.
Further reading: A beginner's guide to Bitcoin.
