Axie Infinity Co-Founder Loses $9.7 Million in Hack

On February 23, 2024, Axie Infinity co-founder Aleksander Larsen’s personal crypto wallets were compromised, resulting in the theft of 3,248 ETH (approximately $9.7 million).

Breach Details

  • Blockchain investigator PeckShield discovered suspicious activity and alerted the community.
  • The stolen funds were sent to Tornado Cash, a crypto mixer, to obscure the transaction history.
  • The attack was not related to the security of the Ronin bridge or the Axie Infinity chain.

Co-Founder’s Response

  • Larsen clarified that the compromised wallet was his and not related to the Ronin chain.
  • The hack occurred due to “leaked keys” unrelated to Sky Mavis, the creator company of Axie Infinity.
  • Larsen emphasized that the security of the Ronin chain remains intact.

Impact on AXS Price

  • The AXS token price remained unaffected by the news of the exploit.

Gratitude and Commitment

  • Larsen expressed gratitude for the support received during this difficult time.
  • He reaffirmed his commitment to bringing economic freedom to internet users, starting with gamers.

Similar Instances

  • In January 2024, Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen’s personal addresses were compromised, resulting in the theft of 213 million XRP.
  • Part of the stolen funds was later recovered by the Binance Team.