A Billion-Dollar Typo Bithumb Accidentally Credits Users with 2,000 BTC Instead of 2,000 Won
In the midst of high market volatility, the South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb experienced a chaotic "fat-finger" error during a routine marketing campaign. The event turned a small giveaway into a momentary multi-billion dollar blunder.
The 2,000 BTC Surprise
The confusion began when Bithumb intended to airdrop a small incentive of 2,000 KRW (approximately $1.50) to its users. However, due to a catastrophic manual entry error, the system credited a group of lucky users with 2,000 BTC each valued at over $120 million per person at current prices.
Market Flash Crash
As news of the accidental fortune spread, several recipients immediately attempted to "cash out" by selling their windfall on the Bithumb spot market. This sudden surge in sell orders caused the price of Bitcoin on the exchange to flash crash to $55,000, decoupling significantly from the global chain price before rebounding.
Damage Control in 5 Minutes
Bithumb’s internal monitoring systems flagged the anomaly almost instantly. The exchange took the following actions:
Account Freezes: 695 affected accounts were immediately locked to prevent further withdrawals.
Asset Recovery: Within just 5 minutes, Bithumb managed to roll back most transactions and recover 99.7% of the misallocated Bitcoin.
Security Assurance: The company clarified that this was strictly an internal operational error and not a cyber-attack or external breach.
The South Korean cryptocurrency market often has a price divergence from the global market (known as the "Kimchi Premium") due to strict regulations. Therefore, a sell-off on Bithumb can cause a more severe price drop than on global exchanges like Binance due to limited liquidity.
This isn't the first time this has happened in the financial world. Back in 2005, Mizuho Securities mistakenly sold 610,000 shares at 1 yen instead of 610,000 yen per share – a classic example of human error in automated systems.
Under the laws of many countries, including South Korea, incorrectly "selling" or transferring funds obtained through bank or exchange transactions can constitute embezzlement, giving the company the legal right to reclaim all assets and claim damages.
While Bithumb recovered most of the funds, this incident raises questions about the centralization of cryptocurrency exchanges and their ability to immediately halt transactions and retrieve funds. This contradicts the fundamental principle of Blockchain, which states that once a transaction occurs, it is irreversible (immutability).
The High-Stakes Gamble: Strategy Holds 713,502 BTC Despite $60,000 Market Slide.
Source: Reuters
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