ZachXBT Freezes $7 Million in Funds from $330 Million Bitcoin Heist

According to BeInCrypto, a cryptocurrency investigator ZachXBT announced the freezing of approximately $7 million in Bitcoin stolen during a recent $330 million theft. The recovery effort involved collaboration with several partners including Cryptoforensic Investigators, security expert tanuki42_, and Binance's security team. This case represents one of the largest individual cryptocurrency thefts in recent history.

The theft occurred on April 28, 2025, when ZachXBT first flagged a suspicious transfer of 3,520 Bitcoin from a victim's wallet. The investigation has since identified two potential suspects in the case - an individual named "Nina/Mo" reportedly operating a call scam center in Camden, UK, and an accomplice known as "W0rk" who assisted with the operation.

Victim Profile and Attack Method

The victim of this massive Bitcoin theft has been identified as an elderly individual residing in the United States, according to The Block. The attack employed sophisticated social engineering tactics that bypassed standard security measures, highlighting vulnerabilities even for long-term cryptocurrency holders.

Cointelegraph reports that the victim had held over 3,000 BTC since 2017, with no prior history of large-scale transactions. ZachXBT noted that the victim's funds came from "interesting" sources but has not elaborated further on this aspect of the case.

The attackers wasted no time in attempting to launder the stolen funds, employing what security experts call a "peel chain" method. "The largest funneling chain now consists of 40+ wallets," explained Yehor Rudytsia, an onchain researcher at Hacken, in comments to Cointelegraph.

Market Impact of the Theft

The laundering operation had significant ripple effects across the cryptocurrency market. Following the theft, the attackers quickly converted substantial portions of the stolen Bitcoin to Monero (XMR), a privacy-focused cryptocurrency known for its transaction anonymity features.

This large-scale conversion triggered a remarkable 50% spike in Monero's price, according to CoinGape. The XMR token reached an intraday high of $339 due to the size of the swaps and relatively thin liquidity on various exchange platforms.

Industry Context and Security Implications

The $330 million theft ranks as the fifth-largest crypto hack in history and comes during a period of increased malicious activity in the cryptocurrency space. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, hackers stole more than $1.6 billion worth of crypto from exchanges and onchain smart contracts, according to blockchain security firm PeckShield as reported by CryptoBriefing.

Security experts recommend several protective measures in light of this attack. These include using multisignature wallets to eliminate single points of failure, minimizing exposure to hot wallets connected to the internet, regularly rotating private keys, and relying on hardware-based cold storage to safeguard large cryptocurrency holdings.

What This Means for the Broader Crypto Ecosystem

The case demonstrates both strengths and weaknesses in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. While the theft itself highlights vulnerabilities, particularly for less tech-savvy users, the rapid investigation and partial fund recovery shows the growing maturity of blockchain forensics.

The incident may accelerate calls for greater consumer protections in cryptocurrency markets, especially as digital assets continue to attract mainstream adoption. Traditional financial institutions are likely to point to such cases as evidence for more robust regulatory frameworks.

On a global scale, this type of high-profile theft could influence policy discussions about cryptocurrency regulations, particularly regarding identity verification requirements and anti-money laundering provisions. The case also demonstrates how blockchain's inherent transparency can assist investigators, even as criminals attempt to leverage privacy-enhancing technologies.

Related Reading on BTC Peers

For more cryptocurrency insights, read Investment Firm Switches to Bitcoin-Only Strategy as Ether Behaves Like Memecoin on BTC Peers, which covers how a major investment advisory firm is prioritizing Bitcoin investments over Ethereum due to market volatility concerns.