Hackers Steal $40.7 Million in Bitcoin From Crypto Exchange Binance

Hackers stole more than 7,000 bitcoin from crypto exchange Binance, the world's largest by volume, the startup reported Tuesday.

As a result, they were able to withdraw roughly $41 million in bitcoin from the exchange, according to a transaction published in the security notice.

The disclosure comes hours after Zhao tweeted that the exchange was undertaking "Some unscheduled server maintenance," writing that "Funds are #safu." After the disclosure announcement, Zhao tweeted that the exchange would "Provide a more detailed update shortly."

The exchange may not yet have identified all impacted accounts, he said.

According to Binance's statement, the breach only impacted Binance's hot wallet, which contains roughly 2 percent of the exchange's total bitcoin holdings.

The withdrawal triggered internal alarms after it was executed, and Zhao said the exchange froze withdrawals following the discovery.

Binance will conduct "a thorough security review" encompassing its systems and data during the next week.

The exchange will use its Secure Asset Fund for Users to cover the loss, which won't impact users, according to the notice.

Litecoin and ether both experienced between 4-6 percent losses while bitcoin managed to resume in the green, thanks largely to its bullish rally yesterday that saw prices reach as high as $5,972 on the Coinbase exchange.

Binance's native crypto, Binance Coin, is also down 8.05 percent and unable to escape the controversy from today's news.