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Hackers believed to be connected to Israel have stolen more than USD 90 million from Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Nobitex. The company confirmed that it was hit by a cyberattack. According to a post on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, both the Nobitex app and website were down while they were checking the damage from the unauthorized access. The stolen money included several types of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and others.
Hackers claim responsibility
Some blockchain investigation firms shared that a group came forward on Thursday and claimed responsibility for the hack. They also said they had leaked the full source code of Nobitex. In a message posted on their Telegram channel, the hackers wrote, “Whatever was left at Nobitex is now public. Their security system is broken.”
Traced to political messages
According to a blog post by Elliptic, a blockchain analytics company, the stolen funds were sent to crypto addresses that had messages written against Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). These messages suggest that the attack may have had a political motive too and not just financial.
The incident has raised serious questions about cybersecurity in Iran’s financial tech space and shows how crypto platforms can become targets during larger geopolitical tensions.
Hackers Target Iran’s Nobitex to send a political message
The hackers who recently stole millions from Iran’s biggest crypto exchange, Nobitex, said their goal was not to make money. Instead, they claimed the hack was meant to send a political message. The stolen funds were moved into wallets that seemed designed to embarrass Nobitex and criticize Iran’s government.
Who are the hackers?
The attack was carried out by a hacker group named Gonjeshke Darande, which means “Predator Bird” in Persian. This group blamed Nobitex for helping Iran’s government avoid Western sanctions. They also accused the exchange of secretly moving money to support Iran’s fast-growing nuclear program.
The group is believed to be linked to Israel, but the Israeli government has never officially admitted to having any ties with them.
A political statement, not a heist
Security experts believe this was not a money-driven hack. The choice of wallets and the messages left behind show that the real goal was to expose and shame Iran’s use of crypto for political and nuclear purposes.
