Bittensor Breach: Hack Drains $8 Million in TAO, Network Down!

Decentralized AI project TAO of Bittensor has halted its blockchain network operations following a significant security breach that compromised several users’ wallets. On-chain analyst ZachXBT reported that the thefts likely resulted from leaked private keys. Approximately $8 million worth of TAO tokens, equating to around 32,000 tokens, were stolen, causing the token’s value to plummet by 15% from $281 to $234.

Initial Signs of Trouble

The first indications of unusual transactions were detected by ZachXBT, who suggested that the breach might be linked to the leakage of private keys. In response, the Bittensor community’s Discord administrator announced that all transactions had been halted to prevent further unauthorized activity while the situation is being investigated.

Network Shutdown and Investigation

The last recorded block on Bittensor’s Explorer occurred about three hours before the network shutdown. Jacob Robert Steeves, co-founder of Bittensor Network, acknowledged the breach.

The administrator, const [т, T], stated on Discord, “We are looking into what seems to have been an attack on the Bittensor wallets over the last 3 hours: […] All chains are paused until further notice. ”

Market Impact

Following the incident, the TAO token price dropped significantly. Data from Taostats indicated that within the same 24-hour period, the token’s value fell nearly 15%, a substantial blow to the market. As of this writing, the Opentensor Foundation, the organization behind the Bittensor protocol, has not released an official statement regarding the hack.

As Bittensor developers work to fix the vulnerability and uncover the root cause of the attack, the community anxiously awaits further updates and the restoration of normal network operations.

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The road ahead: Bittensor faces a critical juncture. The developer community’s response will be crucial in rebuilding trust and securing the future of the TAO ecosystem.