Top Crypto Scams and Collapses that Were on Fire in 2022

A round-up of cryptocurrency frauds and failures that blew up in 2022

4.3 billion dollars worth of bitcoin was stolen by hackers between January and November 2022. In comparison to 2021, this implies a rise of 37%. Here are some of the year’s biggest cryptocurrency frauds.

Theft of $625 million from Ronin Network

A hacker took $625 million in user cash from the Ronin Network in March 2022. A side chain, or smaller Blockchain, called the Ronin Network is utilized to support the Blockchain-based game Axie Infinity. In order to create bogus withdrawals and transfer hundreds of millions off the network, the hacker was able to steal private keys. The hack was not discovered for another week.

$325 million was taken from the Wormhole Bridge.

In February 2022, a hacker targeted the Wormhole cross-chain bridge. With the use of the Wormhole protocol, money may be moved across other chains, including Ethereum (ETH). The wrapped Ethereum (WETH), a token with a value linked to the Ethereum coin, was fraudulently generated by the hacker by taking advantage of holes in the protocol’s validation system. The hacker then converted the WETH into ETH using the Wormhole, making off with digital money worth about $325 million.

Stealing of $182 million from Beanstalk Farms

A stablecoin protocol built on Ethereum is called Beanstalk Farms. Stablecoins are cryptocurrency tokens that are intended to have a fixed value rather than fluctuate. STALK, a native governance token, was utilized by the protocol. A majority of STALK holders would need to approve any transfer of assets out of Beanstalk Farms. An exceptionally short-term cryptocurrency loan called a “flash loan” was utilized by a hacker in April 2022 to purchase the majority of STALK. The hacker then asked for permission to transfer a sizable sum of money using STALK tokens. Although the hacker is thought to have made about $80 million in profit, the breach led the Stablecoin to crash, resulting in $182 million in total damages.

Wintermute: $162,000,000

A significant attack cost the cryptocurrency market creator Wintermute $162 million in September 2022. Security companies have speculated that crucial private keys were either leaked or broken via a brute-force attack, albeit it is yet unclear how the attack was carried out. Some cryptologists speculated that the hack may have been an insider attack shortly after it happened, but this has not been proved.

TERRAUSD

Hundreds of millions of US dollars were swiftly liquidated on May 7 when more than $2 billion in TerraUSD (UST) was unstaked (removed from the Anchor Protocol). Uncertainty exists around whether this was an intentional attack on the Terra blockchain or a reaction to higher interest rates. The price of UST dropped from $1 to $0.91 as a result of the massive capital outflow. Market participants then began exchanging $0.90 in UST for $1 in LUNA. The stablecoin depegged when a sizable sum of UST was moved out. As more people sold their UST during the panic, the supply of LUNA grew.

Three Arrows Capital (3AC):

Three Arrows Capital (3AC), a cryptocurrency hedge fund with a peak market worth of more than $560 million, lost considerably when Terra went under. The play-to-earn game Axie Infinity, which this year lost $625 million due to a North Korean breach, and the centralized cryptocurrency exchange BlockFi, which fired hundreds of staff in mid-June, were two struggling cryptocurrency enterprises in which 3AC had made significant investments. As part of a larger flight from risk, the UST crash devastated investor confidence and accelerated the decline of cryptocurrencies that were already under way. Following the default of a $650 million loan by bitcoin hedge fund 3AC, renowned cryptocurrency investing company Voyager Digital filed for bankruptcy on July 6. Voyager gave a sizable loan to 3AC without requiring any collateral. Voyager lost a sizable sum of customer money as a result of 3AC’s complete default on all of its debts and the departure of its owners.