Poloniex (2023) — Crypto Hack
LaunderedJustin Sun-owned Poloniex exchange had its hot wallet private keys compromised, losing $114M across multiple chains.
Summary
Justin Sun-owned Poloniex exchange had its hot wallet private keys compromised, losing $114M across multiple chains.
How It Was Compromised — CEX via Private Key Compromise
Poloniex, owned by Justin Sun since 2019, lost $114M from hot wallet compromises across Ethereum, Tron, and Bitcoin. The exchange suspended deposits and withdrawals. Justin Sun personally offered a 5% white-hat bounty for fund return. Subsequent analysis linked the attack to North Korea's Lazarus Group.
Fund Flow & Laundering Analysis
Funds moved rapidly across chains. Tron-based assets converted via JustSwap. ETH portion routed through Tornado Cash. Bitcoin channeled through mixers. Justin Sun's public bounty offer went unanswered. Lazarus Group attribution based on fund flow patterns and timing aligned with other 2023 Lazarus operations.