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Hack history / 2019 / Hack or exploit

Binance

Hack or exploit on May 7, 2019 · Hot Wallet Key Compromised

SOURCES AGREE ON DATE AND LOSS · 2 SOURCES
Lost
$40M
dollars at the time
Returned
none listed
as the sources state it
Rank
#132
among thefts by dollars lost

What happened

On May 7, 2019, Binance's hot wallet private keys were compromised, resulting in theft of 7,000 bitcoin (~$40 million). The exchange halted transactions for one week and reimbursed all affected customers from its insurance fund.

Details

Date
May 7, 2019
Kind
Hack or exploit
Method
Hot Wallet Key Compromised
How in
Keys, accounts and infrastructure
Target
Centralized exchange
Chains
Bitcoin

After the theft

Victims reimbursed
yes, amount not stated
“The exchange halted transactions for one week and reimbursed all affected customers from its insurance fund.” (DefiLlama)

Reported by

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Cite this pageSwanBluechip, "Binance hack, May 7, 2019: $40M lost", Crypto hack history, https://swan-hack-tracker.pages.dev/history/i/ht798f54174c/ (data as of 2026-10-31).
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