According to cryptocurrency trading firm Chainalysis, a mysterious Bitcoin miner has used the Bitcoin blockchain as a weapon against the Russian state, exposing hundreds of wallets believed to be under the control of Russian security agencies including the Foreign Military Intelligence Service (GRU), Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), and Federal Security Service (FSB).
The hacker used a Bitcoin blockchain feature that documents transactions to identify 986 wallets controlled by the Russian agency. A Russian message left by the unknown individual accuses the wallet of being involved in hacking activity.
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is the starting point for the attack. Cryptocurrencies have been used by the Ukrainian government to raise money for its military campaign, and a few of the allegedly Russian wallets have transferred funds to Ukraine. Chainalysis supports the hacker’s accusations by noting that at least three of the wallets have a history of being associated with Russia.
Given that none of the three authorities provided a response for a comment, it is unclear whether the individual’s accusations are valid. What is more evident is that the person obtained control of at least some of the addresses they claim were controlled by Russia, maybe through hacking or even (if the claims are to be believed) an inside operation.
Chainalysis added that Bitcoin’s spending patterns indicate they were serious in their assertions. In order to leverage the OP_RETURN field of the Bitcoin blockchain, the individual successfully blew up more than $300,000 worth of Bitcoin while making their allegations to the network.
“The fact that the OP_RETURN sender was both willing and able to burn hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bitcoin in order to spread their message makes it more likely in our opinion that their information is accurate,” Chainalysis stated in a press release.
The hacker movement raises concerns about the security of cryptocurrency wallets under the Russian government controlled by the Putin regime’s cryptocurrency operations which are not secure.
