$40B Crypto Credit Error Shakes Bithumb as Regulators Launch Probe $BTC $ETH $USDC
#Bithumb #Bitcoin #cryptoexchange #BTCtrading #digitalassets
South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb is under regulatory scrutiny after a major internal error led to the accidental crediting of roughly $40 billion worth of Bitcoin to user accounts. The issue began during a small promotional payout when an employee mistakenly entered rewards in Bitcoin instead of Korean won. As a result, hundreds of users briefly saw large Bitcoin balances appear in their accounts.
The exchange identified the problem within about 20 minutes, but during that window, some users managed to trade portions of the mistakenly credited assets. Bithumb reported that although thousands of Bitcoins were sold internally, none were actually transferred out of the platform’s custody. The company says it has already recovered most of the affected value and covered the remainder using its own reserves.
South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service has started on-site inspections and may open a formal investigation if rule violations are confirmed. Officials noted that the incident highlights weaknesses in internal ledger controls used by centralized exchanges, where trades are recorded off-chain before final settlement.
In response, Bithumb announced tighter safeguards, including multi-step approval procedures for asset distributions. Industry regulators and exchange alliances are now pushing for stricter control standards similar to those used in traditional finance.
