The blockchain that underlies the popular crypto game Axie Infinity has been stolen of $625 million in virtual currency. The breach was reported on Tuesday by Sky Mavis, the CEO of Ronin and Axie Infinity. Also, all payments on the Ronin bridge were discontinued. Users can deposit and withdraw funds from the company’s blockchain.
Blockchain funds have been stolen
Sky Mavis claims to be collaborating with law enforcement to collect 173,600 Ethereum (worth over $600 million) and 25.5 million USDC from the culprit who allegedly stole the network’s assets on March 23rd. Sky Mavis’ Ronin network, which functions as a go-between for Axie Infinity and other virtual currency blockchains like Ethereum, was hacked.
Customers might purchase non-fungible tokens or in-game cash after funding Ronin with Ethereum or USDC.
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According to Sky Mavis, a hacker used pirated private security keys to infiltrate the network nodes that validate transactions to and from the Ronin network. As a result, the attacker was able to stealthily extract large quantities of Ethereum and USDC. Today, over a week after the transfer was discovered, some more individuals attempted to withdraw 5,000 Ethereum via the bridge.
Explanation of Sky Mavis
Sky Mavis maintains that neither the “axie” NFT tokens necessary to access Axie Infinity, nor the in-game cryptocurrencies SLP and AXS used to combat and breed the pokémon-like animated axolotls, have been hacked.
(Disclosure: Last month, Adi paid $105 for three axes. to reveal the game; axes currently have a total value of around $25 apiece.)
However, the ban of withdrawals and deposits prevents many new players from joining. Furthermore, the breach raises concerns about the status of additional user funds on the Ronin blockchain. “We’re working with law enforcement, skilled cryptographers, and our funders,” Sky Mavis asserts. All to ensure that no customer monies are stolen,” and that it is a “top priority” for the corporation.
