The recent Bybit hack has sent shockwaves through the crypto industry, with attackers stealing $1.4 billion in digital assets. The breach triggered widespread panic, but it also led to an unexpected show of support as large amounts of BTC, ETH, XRP, and USDT flowed into Bybit. Many saw this as a sign that investors and platforms were backing the exchange despite the crisis.
Hacker Now Holds More ETH Than Vitalik Buterin
A major concern is that the hacker now controls over 500,000 ETH, more than Ethereum co-founder vitalik buterin ’s reported holdings of 240,000 ETH. The stolen assets are spread across 53 wallets, closely monitored by security teams. Since this is a high-profile attack, selling such a large amount without getting caught will be difficult.
Despite the situation, Bybit CEO Ben Zhou assured users that no customer funds were lost and that the exchange remains financially stable. He also confirmed that Bybit successfully processed over 350,000 withdrawal requests following the hack.
Was Binance Involved? CZ Shuts Down Rumors
Some speculated that Binance might have helped Bybit stabilize by transferring Ethereum to the exchange. However, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) quickly denied this. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he explained that the ETH inflows were simply user transactions or whale activity, not Binance stepping in to assist.
Crypto analyst Anndy Lian praised Binance’s leadership but advised his followers to withdraw funds from Bybit, not due to a lack of trust but as a precaution against any unexpected risks.
Meanwhile, on-chain data from Lookonchain showed that a whale withdrew 11,800 ETH ($31 million) from Binance and deposited it into Bybit’s cold wallet. Soon after, another 36,000 ETH ($96.5 million) moved from Binance’s hot wallet to Bybit. Reports suggest these may be loans aimed at helping Bybit manage customer withdrawals.
Whale Moves Shake Up the Market
Despite concerns, large investors and rival exchanges have backed Bybit with major deposits. Whale Alert reported that an unknown wallet sent nearly 3,000 BTC ($285 million) to Bybit, while another transferred 39,998 ETH ($105.5 million).
Bitget also contributed significant funds, and HTX co-founder Jun Du announced he would deposit 10,000 ETH into Bybit, promising not to withdraw it until next month as a sign of support.
Withdrawals Surge as Users React
While some whales and platforms are supporting Bybit, many users remain cautious. Arkham Intelligence reported that Galaxy Digital’s OTC trading desk withdrew 25,000 ETH ($67 million) and 200,000 USDC within hours of the attack. Another 700 BTC ($68.8 million) was also withdrawn by an anonymous wallet, adding to the growing outflow of assets.
Bybit Still Holds Billions—What’s Next?
Even after the hack and withdrawals, Bybit still holds significant reserves. Reports show it has 450,462 ETH ($1.2 billion), along with BTC, USDT, USDC, and MNT, totaling billions in assets.
Bybit is now focused on restoring confidence and stabilizing its operations. The market is watching closely to see how the exchange recovers from one of the biggest crypto hacks in history.
Source: https://coinpedia.org/news/bybit-hack-update-massive-eth-transfers-user-withdrawals-explained/
Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.
Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.