Updated with an official statement from Alvin Hagg, Freewallet co-founder.
Freewallet users are reporting that cryptocurrency held at wallets from Freewallet - known for its mobile Bitcoin, Ethereum and Monero wallets - is disappearing. Using Ethereum Blockchain explorers, we can see that someone has redirected over 21,000 ETH (worth over $8 million) from random Freewallet wallets to a single address.
The company has made no comments on any social media or online forums, which raises suspicions by many in the community that this is an 'exit scam' - meaning an intentional fraud carried out with the intention of scamming users out of their funds as soon as the option arises, for example ETH/USD reaching a record $400 per Ethereum token as happened yesterday.
However, considering examples of lost cryptocurrency in the past, it is too soon to judge if this is really the case. It is more than possible that some hacker just found a bug to exploit in the programming of the wallet and took advantage of it at the expense of both Freewallet and its users.
Hackers, cyber attackers and scammers are consistently targeting cryptocurrency related businesses including wallets, exchanges, ICOs and more. As the market is largely unregulated and as many police organizations around the world are incapable of understanding the matter, it seems an easy target with little repercussions. The community, however, has the tools to track where the funds go and devise means to recover them, as we have seen before.
Finance Magnates approached the Freewallet team asking for a comment on the situation and we will update if and when it arrives.
Update
A few hours after publication the company provided an official statement from Alvin Hagg, Freewallet co-founder:
"Freewallet operates for more than 1 year on a market and puts safety of users assets as a high priority. Our security team operates top level cryptocurrency multilayer security systems. Since the beginning of operations not a cent of user money was lost.
Freewallet stores funds in a multi-signature Cold Storage with a bank level security grade. From time to time there are rebalancing procedures between different cold storages and hot wallets. There’s no need to worry, this is an ordinary and planned procedure for cryptocurrency systems. All user assets are completely safe. We offer more than 14 wallets and all of them are operating fine."
In response to further questions presented by Finance Magnates they added:
"Freewallet is a cryptocurrency startup located in Prague. Due to significant market growth our support team is overloaded and communication is slowed. Right now we are scaling support system up, in a coming days user communication should become much faster.
User funds are stored in a cold storage. We support more than 14 different coins and blockchains and even more is coming. We have developed an unified technology to ensure assets are stored securely and reliable. With this technology all incoming transactions are received via addresses unique for each user. They are gathered in pool and then go either to payout aggregator or multi-signature cold storage.
We consider our platform as one of the most secure on the market.
Ethereum blockchain was overloaded yesterday with Bancor ICO transactions. A small bunch of that transactions are still being processed now; they will arrive back in a couple of hours. New Ethereum transactions are coming in and out normally. In a future Freewallet updates we'll consider making a special feature for such cases. Users will be able to monitor a current blockchain load and predicted time for a transaction to be processed."
Freewallet users are reporting that cryptocurrency held at wallets from Freewallet - known for its mobile Bitcoin, Ethereum and Monero wallets - is disappearing. Using Ethereum Blockchain explorers, we can see that someone has redirected over 21,000 ETH (worth over $8 million) from random Freewallet wallets to a single address.
The company has made no comments on any social media or online forums, which raises suspicions by many in the community that this is an 'exit scam' - meaning an intentional fraud carried out with the intention of scamming users out of their funds as soon as the option arises, for example ETH/USD reaching a record $400 per Ethereum token as happened yesterday.
However, considering examples of lost cryptocurrency in the past, it is too soon to judge if this is really the case. It is more than possible that some hacker just found a bug to exploit in the programming of the wallet and took advantage of it at the expense of both Freewallet and its users.
Hackers, cyber attackers and scammers are consistently targeting cryptocurrency related businesses including wallets, exchanges, ICOs and more. As the market is largely unregulated and as many police organizations around the world are incapable of understanding the matter, it seems an easy target with little repercussions. The community, however, has the tools to track where the funds go and devise means to recover them, as we have seen before.
Finance Magnates approached the Freewallet team asking for a comment on the situation and we will update if and when it arrives.
Update
A few hours after publication the company provided an official statement from Alvin Hagg, Freewallet co-founder:
"Freewallet operates for more than 1 year on a market and puts safety of users assets as a high priority. Our security team operates top level cryptocurrency multilayer security systems. Since the beginning of operations not a cent of user money was lost.
Freewallet stores funds in a multi-signature Cold Storage with a bank level security grade. From time to time there are rebalancing procedures between different cold storages and hot wallets. There’s no need to worry, this is an ordinary and planned procedure for cryptocurrency systems. All user assets are completely safe. We offer more than 14 wallets and all of them are operating fine."
In response to further questions presented by Finance Magnates they added:
"Freewallet is a cryptocurrency startup located in Prague. Due to significant market growth our support team is overloaded and communication is slowed. Right now we are scaling support system up, in a coming days user communication should become much faster.
User funds are stored in a cold storage. We support more than 14 different coins and blockchains and even more is coming. We have developed an unified technology to ensure assets are stored securely and reliable. With this technology all incoming transactions are received via addresses unique for each user. They are gathered in pool and then go either to payout aggregator or multi-signature cold storage.
We consider our platform as one of the most secure on the market.
Ethereum blockchain was overloaded yesterday with Bancor ICO transactions. A small bunch of that transactions are still being processed now; they will arrive back in a couple of hours. New Ethereum transactions are coming in and out normally. In a future Freewallet updates we'll consider making a special feature for such cases. Users will be able to monitor a current blockchain load and predicted time for a transaction to be processed."
Bitget's Bitcoin Reserve Ratio Soars Over 300% Following Halving
Network, Learn, Grow | FMAS:24
Network, Learn, Grow | FMAS:24
Get ready to mark your calendars for FMAS:24, returning this May! Take a quick glimpse of what awaits at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa from May 20-22, 2024.
Don't miss out on this 5-second invite packed with energy and urgency!
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#fmas24 #fmas #fmevents #financeinafrica #traders #investors #affiliates #forexTraders #investmentOpportunities #B2BNetworking #finTech #Innovations #TradingCommunity #BusinessOpportunities #AfricanBusiness #Johannesburg #southafrica
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Get ready to mark your calendars for FMAS:24, returning this May! Take a quick glimpse of what awaits at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa from May 20-22, 2024.
Don't miss out on this 5-second invite packed with energy and urgency!
Secure your free ticket now 🔗 https://events.financemagnates.com/yQx0l?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=fmas-is-back&utm_medium=video&RefId=FMAS24+Video+Ad+%5B1%5D
#fmas24 #fmas #fmevents #financeinafrica #traders #investors #affiliates #forexTraders #investmentOpportunities #B2BNetworking #finTech #Innovations #TradingCommunity #BusinessOpportunities #AfricanBusiness #Johannesburg #southafrica
📣 Stay updated with the latest in finance and trading!
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Here's a sneak peek into the FMAS:24 vibrant atmosphere! Join us at Africa’s premium financial event for a transformative experience that combines the best of finance and technology.
From May 20-22, 2024, the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa, will be the hub for over 3,500 attendees to engage in unparalleled networking opportunities, learn from over 150 industry-leading speakers, and explore innovations from 120+ exhibitors.
Secure your free ticket now 🔗 https://events.financemagnates.com/yQx0l?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=fmas-is-back&utm_medium=video&RefId=FMAS24+Video+Ad+%5B1%5D
#fmas24 #fmas #fmevents #financeinafrica #traders #investors #affiliates #forexTraders #investmentOpportunities #B2BNetworking #finTech #Innovations #TradingCommunity #BusinessOpportunities #AfricanBusiness #Johannesburg #southafrica
📣 Stay updated with the latest in finance and trading!
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Don't miss out on our latest videos, interviews, and event coverage. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more!
Here's a sneak peek into the FMAS:24 vibrant atmosphere! Join us at Africa’s premium financial event for a transformative experience that combines the best of finance and technology.
From May 20-22, 2024, the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, South Africa, will be the hub for over 3,500 attendees to engage in unparalleled networking opportunities, learn from over 150 industry-leading speakers, and explore innovations from 120+ exhibitors.
Secure your free ticket now 🔗 https://events.financemagnates.com/yQx0l?utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=fmas-is-back&utm_medium=video&RefId=FMAS24+Video+Ad+%5B1%5D
#fmas24 #fmas #fmevents #financeinafrica #traders #investors #affiliates #forexTraders #investmentOpportunities #B2BNetworking #finTech #Innovations #TradingCommunity #BusinessOpportunities #AfricanBusiness #Johannesburg #southafrica
📣 Stay updated with the latest in finance and trading!
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Join 3500+ Attendees at FMAS:24 | Africa's Premium Financial Event
Join 3500+ Attendees at FMAS:24 | Africa's Premium Financial Event
Looking to expand your network in #Africa? Join 3500+ attendees at FMAS:24, where online trading, fintech, payments, and crypto meet! Connect with industry leaders and innovators for an unmatched networking experience.
20-22 MAY 2024
Sandton Convention Center, Sandton, South Africa
Register now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3JbUpCK
#fmas #fmas24 #fmevents #networking #finance #africa
📣 Stay updated with the latest in finance and trading!
Follow Finance Magnates for news, insights, and event updates across our social media platforms. Connect with us today:
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Looking to expand your network in #Africa? Join 3500+ attendees at FMAS:24, where online trading, fintech, payments, and crypto meet! Connect with industry leaders and innovators for an unmatched networking experience.
20-22 MAY 2024
Sandton Convention Center, Sandton, South Africa
Register now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3JbUpCK
#fmas #fmas24 #fmevents #networking #finance #africa
📣 Stay updated with the latest in finance and trading!
Follow Finance Magnates for news, insights, and event updates across our social media platforms. Connect with us today:
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Join 3500+ Attendees at FMAS:24 - Africa's Premium Financial Event
Join 3500+ Attendees at FMAS:24 - Africa's Premium Financial Event
Looking to expand your network in #Africa?
Join 3500+ attendees at FMAS:24, where online trading, fintech, payments, and crypto meet! Connect with industry leaders and innovators for an unmatched networking experience.
20-22 MAY 2024
Sandton Convention Center, Sandton, South Africa
Register now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3JbUpCK
#fmas #fmas24 #fmevents #networking #finance #africa
Looking to expand your network in #Africa?
Join 3500+ attendees at FMAS:24, where online trading, fintech, payments, and crypto meet! Connect with industry leaders and innovators for an unmatched networking experience.
20-22 MAY 2024
Sandton Convention Center, Sandton, South Africa
Register now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3JbUpCK
#fmas #fmas24 #fmevents #networking #finance #africa
Where the Prop Trading Industry Goes from Here | Finance Magnates Podcast
Where the Prop Trading Industry Goes from Here | Finance Magnates Podcast
Explore the tumultuous world of prop trading in this Finance Magnates podcast episode, featuring insights from Head of Axi Select, Greg Rubin.
We're discussing the challenges and shifts caused by MetaQuotes' pivotal decisions affecting MT4 and MT5 users, and how Axi Select offers a unique, realistic path to professional trading, steering clear of traditional prop firm pitfalls.
Tune in for expert analysis on the future of trading and innovative funding models.
The Axi Select programme is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available for AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. Standard trading fees apply.
This content is provided solely for general informational purposes and should not be construed as financial product advice or an investment recommendation. It has been prepared without considering your personal circumstances.
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Explore the tumultuous world of prop trading in this Finance Magnates podcast episode, featuring insights from Head of Axi Select, Greg Rubin.
We're discussing the challenges and shifts caused by MetaQuotes' pivotal decisions affecting MT4 and MT5 users, and how Axi Select offers a unique, realistic path to professional trading, steering clear of traditional prop firm pitfalls.
Tune in for expert analysis on the future of trading and innovative funding models.
The Axi Select programme is only available to clients of AxiTrader Limited. CFDs carry a high risk of investment loss. In our dealings with you, we will act as a principal counterparty to all of your positions. This content is not available for AU, NZ, EU and UK residents. For more information, refer to our Terms of Service. Standard trading fees apply.
This content is provided solely for general informational purposes and should not be construed as financial product advice or an investment recommendation. It has been prepared without considering your personal circumstances.
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