FTX attacker turns to ChipMixer to launder tokens

The FTX attacker turned to ChipMixer to launder funds and already washed astir 360 Bitcoin (BTC), according to on-chain sleuth ZachXBT.

Update: FTX attacker has started utilizing ChipMixer to launder the funds (so acold ~360 BTC) https://t.co/xuiCaajnh8 https://t.co/qsSJs8d8OV

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) November 25, 2022

Earlier attacks

The FTX drainer has been active since Nov. 12. In summation to important hits that caught the community’s attention, the attacker has perpetually been moving tokens betwixt 8:00 and 10:00 UTC.

The onslaught was archetypal noticed erstwhile FTX and FTX U.S. started experiencing $450 cardinal worthy of withdrawals. The stolen funds were archetypal sold for tokens, including Ethereum (ETH) and Binance USD (BNB), earlier getting consolidated successful 1 main wallet.

On Nov. 17, it was noticed that the attacker drained different 30,000 BNB tokens, which was worthy astir $7.95 cardinal astatine the time. Another large deed came connected Nov. 21, erstwhile the attacker moved 180,000 ETH successful 12 abstracted transactions.

ChipMixer

According to data from Aug. 2022, ChipMixer facilitated the laundering of 48.9% of funds connected the Bitcoin network, portion Tornado Cash helped with 74.6%. Roughly 26,021 Bitcoins were sent to ChipMixer, and 14,370 Bitcoins were withdrawn from the protocol during the archetypal six months of the year.

According to crypto influencer FatManTerra, ChipMixer is deployed by the U.S. authorities and is “a United States authorities honeypot.”

Today, I'm sharing my long-standing mentation down a US authorities covert cognition designed to partially ace Bitcoin privateness and deanonymize transactions. I judge that fashionable Bitcoin mixer ChipMixer is really a United States authorities honeypot. Here's why.

— FatMan (@FatManTerra) November 23, 2022

According to FatManTerra, ChipMixer was released successful 2017 with ample reserves and an antithetic “pay what you want” exemplary and rapidly roseate to prominence. It spent ample amounts connected bounties and ads portion having zero revenue.

In his 19-Tweets-long thread, FatManTerra explained wherefore helium is “absolutely sure” that ChipMixer is simply a honeypot and said helium had his oculus connected different protocols that could besides beryllium honeypots. He states:

The station FTX attacker turns to ChipMixer to launder tokens appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.