Crypto news

Crypto Chaos: When Hackers Throw a Party in SK Telecom’s Backyard!

BBG News

Oh, imagine this: South Korea’s telecom giant SK Telecom got itself an uninvited guest—a sneaky little malware party crasher! And guess who’s feeling the jitters? The knights of the crypto realm, holding their digital gold tight but nervously eyeing their SIM cards. Enter Bithumb, cape fluttering, ready to swoop in and save the day while polishing its fancy public listing shoes.

SK Telecom’s Surprise Malware Bash Sends Shivers Through Crypto Castle

Word on the digital street (well, from Bithumb) is that on April 19, 2025, SK Telecom realized there was malware lurking in its fortress. Not just any malware, but the kind that’s about as welcome as a gremlin in a candy store.

Hold your hats: 34 million users had their USIM data caught in the hacker’s fishing net. And why does this matter? Because clever villains can now perform SIM-swapping, a devious trick where they hijack your phone number faster than you can say “cryptocurrency.” Wallets might be empty before you even notice your phone’s gone rogue.

CME Group today announced plans to launch XRP futures on May 19, pending regulatory review. Market participants will have the choice to trade both a micro-sized contract (2,500 XRP) and a larger-sized contract (50,000 XRP). XRP futures will join the company’s crypto product suite…

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 24, 2025

But SK Telecom wasn’t about to let this malware monster run wild. They slapped on a block to those sneaky USIM swaps and started watching for any suspicious shenanigans. They also begged users to flip the switch on the USIM lock feature—think of it as a digital deadbolt to stop phone number pirates. So far, no public proof of treasure stolen, but the crypto crowd is pacing nervously.

The neighborhood exchanges piped up too, telling their customers—especially SK Telecom fans—to double-check their security gizmos and stack up the verification bricks. Crypto enthusiasts aren’t just twiddling thumbs; they’re locking doors and hiding keys because, spoiler alert, this week’s security news reads like a thriller.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more thrilling, the XRP Ledger got its own horror story. Aikido Security uncovered a sneaky backdoor lurking in the xrpl.js library versions 4.2.1 to 4.2.4. Like finding out your favorite candy has a notch of sneaky chili powder. Yikes!

Bithumb’s Battle Plan: Fortify the Castle While Eyeing the IPO Prize

Meanwhile, Bithumb decided to go full Sherlock Holmes, launching live surveillance for any USIM forgery or tampering. After all, with these digital gremlins on the prowl, safety feels less like a luxury and more like a survival kit.

And what better time to tighten security than while prepping for a grand Kosdaq debut in the second half of 2025? By the end of July, Bithumb will split itself into two teams: Bithumb Korea, the crypto battalion holding the exchange and IPO shield, and Bithumb A, the venture scout tackling investments and new adventures.

These daring moves scream, “We’re serious!” about protecting users from the sneakiest of threats and those bumpy market rides. Bithumb’s quick moves after the SK Telecom breach show it isn’t just playing defense but gearing up to win glory and users’ trust.

And let’s not forget the friendly neighbor Bybit, who teamed up with Zodia Custody after some $1.45 billion went poof in February 2025—talk about learning from your neighborhood’s less fortunate crypto drama! 🦸‍♂️🚀

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2025-04-24 19:18

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