The world’s largest case of cryptocurrency theft to date has led to the seizure of digital assets in Greece, says MEGA news.
The story began in May, following a tip-off received by Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority regarding a suspicious cryptocurrency transaction.
The transaction involved a Greek-registered user on a platform operated by a Greek crypto exchange service provider.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the user had received a large sum in their crypto wallet, which, according to authorities, originated from the largest cryptocurrency theft in the industry’s history, with losses exceeding $1.5 billion.
The cyber-heist targeted a well-known international cryptocurrency exchange earlier this year and has been attributed to a hacking group.
The case marks the first time Greece has seized cryptocurrency assets tied to international crime. Greek Minister of Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, had also visited the Anti-Money Laundering Authority in connection with the matter.
The Authority formally froze the assets and issued a public announcement—Greece’s equivalent of the FBI urged anyone holding or transferring these specific cryptocurrencies to surrender them to authorities, as they are classified as proceeds of crime.
A seizure order was issued for the crypto wallet and the illicit assets it contained, and a full report has been forwarded to the competent Public Prosecutor’s Office for further legal action.
