NiceHash On Track to Repay Users: 60% of Stolen BTC Returned

Tuesday, 28/08/2018 | 09:24 GMT by Rachel McIntosh
  • 4,700 BTC ($65 million) was stolen from the cloud mining service in December.
NiceHash On Track to Repay Users: 60% of Stolen BTC Returned
Reuters

Local media sources have reported that the Slovenia-based ‘NiceHashCloud mining service has returned 60 percent of the 4,700 Bitcoins that were stolen from it in December of 2017. The company promised that it would return the missing coins to its customers shortly after news of the hack was made public.

The coins were worth approximately $65 million at the time of the hack. Since the price of Bitcoin has dropped so severely (roughly 70 percent) since the hack took place, affected users lost out on the potential to earn thousands--or even millions--of dollars.

NiceHash Pledged to Return the BTC Two Weeks After the Hack

The hack took place on December 6th when the NiceHash website was experiencing technical difficulties, forcing Nicehash to interrupt its operations.

An official statement from the company at the time of the incident explained: “Our payment system was compromised, and the contents of the NiceHash bitcoin wallet have been stolen, and that “the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities and law enforcement and we are co-operating with them as a matter of urgency.”

Two weeks passed before NiceHash’ platform was up and running again. When the site became operational again, the company announced that funds would be restored: “We have been able to reserve the funds required to restore balances from a group of international investors,” an announcement read. “We need this interim period to ensure all legal paperwork is processed correctly, so please be patient while we do this.”

Hackers are Still At Large

The entity behind the attack is still at large, and a criminal investigation by Slovenian authorities is ongoing. “Information gathering and other activities are still underway and carried out with the help of international legal collaboration,” Slovenian police said in an official statement.

Total Slovenia News reported that criminal investigations into cybercrime are often the most difficult and lengthy. Indeed, cybercriminals are often the most difficult to prosecute; the majority go unpunished.

Local media sources have reported that the Slovenia-based ‘NiceHashCloud mining service has returned 60 percent of the 4,700 Bitcoins that were stolen from it in December of 2017. The company promised that it would return the missing coins to its customers shortly after news of the hack was made public.

The coins were worth approximately $65 million at the time of the hack. Since the price of Bitcoin has dropped so severely (roughly 70 percent) since the hack took place, affected users lost out on the potential to earn thousands--or even millions--of dollars.

NiceHash Pledged to Return the BTC Two Weeks After the Hack

The hack took place on December 6th when the NiceHash website was experiencing technical difficulties, forcing Nicehash to interrupt its operations.

An official statement from the company at the time of the incident explained: “Our payment system was compromised, and the contents of the NiceHash bitcoin wallet have been stolen, and that “the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities and law enforcement and we are co-operating with them as a matter of urgency.”

Two weeks passed before NiceHash’ platform was up and running again. When the site became operational again, the company announced that funds would be restored: “We have been able to reserve the funds required to restore balances from a group of international investors,” an announcement read. “We need this interim period to ensure all legal paperwork is processed correctly, so please be patient while we do this.”

Hackers are Still At Large

The entity behind the attack is still at large, and a criminal investigation by Slovenian authorities is ongoing. “Information gathering and other activities are still underway and carried out with the help of international legal collaboration,” Slovenian police said in an official statement.

Total Slovenia News reported that criminal investigations into cybercrime are often the most difficult and lengthy. Indeed, cybercriminals are often the most difficult to prosecute; the majority go unpunished.

About the Author: Rachel McIntosh
Rachel McIntosh
  • 1509 Articles
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About the Author: Rachel McIntosh
Rachel is a self-taught crypto geek and a passionate writer. She believes in the power that the written word has to educate, connect and empower individuals to make positive and powerful financial choices. She is the Podcast Host and a Cryptocurrency Editor at Finance Magnates.
  • 1509 Articles
  • 58 Followers

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