Home
Internet
Internet News
South Korean Bitcoin Exchange Youbit Hacked, Starts Bankruptcy Proceedings

South Korean Bitcoin Exchange Youbit Hacked, Starts Bankruptcy Proceedings

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 20 December 2017 12:41 IST

Highlights

Bitcoin has been experiencing record highs, generating global interest
Youbit Bitcoin exchange announced the hack on Tuesday
The company announced it would start bankruptcy proceeedings

Bitcoin prices plunged about 15 percent in Asian trade Wednesday before recouping some of the losses as investors apparently took fright at the news that a South Korean exchange had been hacked.

The unit, which hit a record $19,500 (roughly Rs. 12.5 lakhs) at the start of the week, took a hit as it emerged that South Korean exchange Youbit had been hacked, leading the firm to say it will close and start bankruptcy proceedings, according to Bloomberg News.

Separately, US authorities on Tuesday suspended trading in a popular Bitcoin-related stock, citing concerns about market manipulation.

The Crypto Company's share price had risen 1,700 percent between the end of September and Monday evening before the Securities Exchange Commission intervened to halt trades until January 4.

"Both the news of South Korea's exchange having been hacked and position adjustment following recent rallies affected the market today," Raita Yamaguchi, senior consultant at Nomura Research Institute, told AFP.

However, "the weight of South Korea as a Bitcoin market is not that big," he added.

Bitcoin dropped to $15,815.78 in early Tokyo trade from $18,000 (roughly Rs. 11 lakhs) Tuesday evening, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The cryptocurrency recovered to around $16,000 in early afternoon trade in Tokyo.

Bitcoin has soared almost 20-fold since the start of the year and this month saw it move into the mainstream as two major US exchanges began trading futures in the unit.

Cryptocurrency Prices across Indian exchanges

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.