Coindesk Logo

Japan Regulators Seek Answers in Wake of Zaif's $60 Million Crypto Hack

Japan Regulators Seek Answers in Wake of Zaif's $60 Million Crypto Hack

Japan Regulators Seek Answers in Wake of Zaif's $60 Million Crypto Hack

Japan's top financial regulator is seeking answers from the operator of the Zaif cryptocurrency exchange.

Japan's top financial regulator is seeking answers from the operator of the Zaif cryptocurrency exchange.

Japan's top financial regulator is seeking answers from the operator of the Zaif cryptocurrency exchange.

AccessTimeIconSep 25, 2018, 3:00 PM
Updated Aug 18, 2021, 9:54 PM

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

Japan's top financial regulator is seeking answers from the operator of the Zaif cryptocurrency exchange, a situation that comes days after the trading site disclosed that it lost millions of dollars worth of crypto in a hack.

Zaif, which is operated by the Japan-based firm Tech Bureau, reported last week that it lost as much as $60 million worth of cryptocurrency – primarily bitcoin, bitcoin cash and monacoin – and that it had filed the incident with local authorities.

As the exchange detailed in a blog post from September 25, officials are pressing for more details about how the hack actually took place and the steps Zaif will take to recompensate customers whose funds were affected. And as Reuters further reports, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) wants to know why there was a "delay in reporting the hack."

News sources reported last week that the FSA was moving to open up a probe into the Zaif hack, though at the time officials hadn't issued a formal business improvement order, as they have now done.

According to the latest Reuters report, an official for the FSA was quoted as saying that the initial explanation pointed the blame at an employee's computer being infiltrated.

"We have not received enough explanation on what exactly happened. What they told us is an employee's PC was hacked," the unnamed official said.

Perhaps most notably, the FSA could take "further action" against the exchange and its operator depending on the outcome of the inquiry.

The Zaif hack is Japan's latest crypto-security incident, but not it's largest. Coincheck reported in January that $520 million in NEM tokens were stolen by hackers.

Image via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.