Gone in 20 minutes: How the biggest heist in crypto history unfolded

kAmw6C6VD H92E H6 <?@H D@ 72Cik^Am

k9am(wp% wp!!t}tsnk^9am

kAmp3@FE Se]b 3:==:@? @7 4CJAE@4FCC6?4:6D H6C6 5C2:?65 7C@> H2==6ED E92E q:?2?46 FD6D E@ AC@46DD EC2?D24E:@?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 6I492?86 2?5 6IA6CE 2?2=JD:D @7 3=@4<492:? C64@C5D]k^Am

kAmq:?2?46 D2:5 :? 2 k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 4=2DDlQEC\=:?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^3:?2?46^DE2EFD^a``e_ghee`c_g`_gf`anDla_QmDE2E6>6?E @? )k^2m E92E :E :?:E:2==J E9@F89E E96 2EE24< :?G@=G65 2 4@>AC@>:D65 =2AE@A] Qw@H6G6C[ @FC DF3D6BF6?E :?G6DE:82E:@? 92D F?4@G6C65 255:E:@?2= A@:?ED @7 3C6249[Q :E 25565[ H:E9@FE 6=23@C2E:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 6I492?86 @A6C2E6D 2 D64FC6 2DD6E 7F?5 7@C FD6CD[ 2 S` 3:==:@? 3:E4@:? C6D6CG6 56D:8?65 E@ AC@E64E 4FDE@>6CD :? E96 6G6?E @7 2 D64FC:EJ 3C6249[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :ED H63D:E6]k^Am

kAmr@\rt~ #:492C5 %6?8 D2:5 =@DD6D H@F=5 36 4@G6C65 3J E96 7F?5 2?5 4@>A2?J C6D@FC46D]k^Am

kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ &]$] 3=@4<492:? 2?2=JE:4D 7:C> k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 4=2DDlQEC\=:?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EC>=23D]4@>^C6D@FC46D^3=@8^?@CE9\<@C62\DE62=D\FD5\e\be\3:==:@?\7C@>\3:?2?46\:?\E96\=2C86DE\924<\:?\9:DE@CJQm%#| {23Dk^2m[ E96 2EE24<6CD 4@>AC@>:D65 q:?2?46VD QD:8?:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[Q H9:49 2FE9@C:K6D EC2?D24E:@?D[ 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ :DDF6 :?DECF4E:@?D E92E 6>AE:65 E96 27764E65 H2==6ED]k^Am

kAm%96 3F=< @7 E96 96:DE F?7@=565 :? 23@FE a_ >:?FE6D[ 3=@4<492:? C64@C5D D9@H[ 368:??:?8 D9@CE=J 27E6C a___ v|% @? %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAm~?46 E96 7F?5D H6C6 >@G65[ E96 2EE24<6CD C2465 E@ D9:7E E96> 36J@?5 E96 C6249 @7 q:?2?46 4@F?E6CA2CE:6D 2?5 DE23=64@:? :DDF6CD[ H9:49 92G6 7C@K6? C@F89=J 92=7 @7 E96 DE@=6? 2DD6ED]k^Am

kAmp? F?FDF2= 762EFC6 @7 D@>6 4CJAE@4FCC6?4:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 >2;@C DE23=64@:?D DF49 2D %6E96CVD &$s% 2?5 r:C4=6VD &$sr[ :D E92E E96:C :DDF6CD 42? 7C66K6 E96> C6>@E6=J]k^Am

kAmQx? =2J>2?VD E6C>D[ E96 2EE24<6C >2J ?@E 92G6 DE@=6? E96 G2F=E <6J[ E96J >2J 92G6 9:;24<65 E96 DJDE6> E92E E6==D E96 G2F=E E@ C6=62D6 >@?6J[Q D2:5 y@D9F2 r9F[ 2 w@?8 z@?8 =2HJ6C H9@ H@C<D @? 4CJAE@ 42D6D]k^Am

k9am(w~ x$ qtwx}s x%nk^9am

kAm$6G6C2= &]$] 3=@4<492:? 2?2=JD:D 7:C>D D2:5 E96 2EE24< 362CD D:>:=2C:E:6D E@ AC6G:@FD @A6C2E:@?D 2EEC:3FE65 E@ }@CE9 z@C62? 924<6CD]k^Am

kAm%6?8 D2:5 q:?2?46VD :?G6DE:82E:@? 925 ?@E J6E :56?E:7:65 E96 2EE24<6CD[ H9:=6 }@CE9 z@C62 C@FE:?6=J 56?:6D :?G@=G6>6?E :? 4J36C2EE24<D 2?5 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J E967ED] }@CE9 z@C62VD >:DD:@? :? v6?6G2 2?5 6>32DDJ :? r9:?2 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am

kAm%#| D2:5 E96 3C6249 D92C65 492C24E6C:DE:4D H:E9 =2DE J62CVD 2EE24< @? 4CJAE@ 6I492?86 qJ3:E[ H9:49 E96 uqx 2EEC:3FE65 E@ }@CE9 z@C62? 924<6CD] %96 7:C> D2:5 :E H2D 9:89=J 4@?7:56?E E96 D2>6 8C@FA H2D 369:?5 E96 q:?2?46 E967E]k^Am

kAmr92:?2=JD:D D2:5 7F?5D DE@=6? :? 2? 2EE24< =2DE >@?E9 @? q:E86E H6C6 36:?8 >:I65 H:E9 AC@4665D 7C@> E96 q:?2?46 3C6249]k^Am

k9am(wt#tV$ %wt |~}t*nk^9am

kAmp3@FE 92=7 E96 DE@=6? 2DD6ED H6C6 DE23=64@:?D E92E 92G6 D:?46 366? 7C@K6? 3J :DDF6CD :?4=F5:?8 %6E96C[ r:C4=6[ #:AA=6 2?5 (@C=5 {:36CEJ u:?2?4:2=[ E96 %CF>A 72>:=JVD 4CJAE@ G6?EFC6]k^Am

kAm%92E 5@6D?VE >62? E96 4@:?D H:== 36 C6EFC?65 E@ q:?2?46[ 3FE :E D:8?:7:42?E=J =:>:ED E96 2EE24<6CDV 23:=:EJ E@ 4@?G6CE E96> :?E@ 42D9]k^Am

kAm%#| D2:5 D@>6 @7 E96 7F?5D 925 2=C625J 366? A@DE65 2D 4@==2E6C2= E@ 3@CC@H 6E96C 2?5 6DE:>2E65 E92E 23@FE Sa]c 3:==:@? H@CE9 @7 3:E4@:? 2?5 6E96C :D 36J@?5 C6249]k^Am

kAmQ}@ 4@>A2?J :DDF6D 3:E4@:? @C 6E96C 2?5 ?@ 4@>A2?J 42? 7C66K6 6:E96C @?6[Q D2:5 !2EC:4< %2?[ 86?6C2= 4@F?D6= @7 r92:?pC8@D[ 2 3=@4<492:? :?E6==:86?46 7:C> :? $:?82A@C6]k^Am

kAmQ%96 3:E4@:? 2?5 6E96C 42? 36 DE@AA65 @?=J :7 E96 2EE24<6C D6?5D E96> E@ 2 4CJAE@\2DD6E 6I492?86 @C 3C@<6C E92E :D 23=6 2?5 H:==:?8 E@ 7C66K6 E96>[ @C :7 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @3E2:?D E96 AC:G2E6 <6JD]Qk^Am

kAm|2C<6E A2CE:4:A2?ED D2:5 E96 2EE24<6CD H@F=5 =:<6=J >:I E96 DE@=6? 4@:?D H:E9 @E96C 2DD6ED @C FD6 =6DD6C <?@H? 4@:?D 2?5 6I492?86D E@ ECJ E@ >@G6 E96 AC@4665D]k^Am

kAmQ%96 >@C6 E:>6 A2DD6D[ E96 =6DD =:<6=J E96J H:== 36 23=6 E@ 7@=5 E9@D6 7F?5D :?E@ @E96C 6I492?86D @C A2J>6?E AC@G:56CD — E96J 6DD6?E:2==J 86E 3=24<=:DE65[Q D2:5 q6C?2C5@ qC:E6D[ rt~ @7 %C246 u:?2?46[ 2 DE23=64@:? :?7C2DECF4EFC6 4@>A2?J]k^Am

kAmQx? C62=:EJ 2 =@E @7 E96 AC@4665D @7 924<D ]]] W42? @?=J 36 =2F?56C65X :? E96 7:CDE 76H 9@FCD[ 3FE 27E6C E92E 92AA6?D[ J@F 92G6 2 =@E @7 5:776C6?E A=2J6CD H9@ <?@H E9@D6 2C6 >2C<65 7F?5D ]]] 2?5 E96J FDF2==J D:E E96C6 7@C J62CD]Qk^Am

k9am(wp% }t)%nk^9am

kAm%96 E967E :D E96 =2E6DE :? 2 D6C:6D @7 >2;@C 5:8:E2= 2DD6E 3C62496D] pEE24<6CD DE@=6 Sa]h 3:==:@? @7 4CJAE@4FCC6?4J 24C@DD ?62C=J `d_ :?4:56?ED =2DE J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ %#| {23D]k^Am

kAm%96 2EE24< 92D 2=D@ C2EE=65 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 D64E@C] rCJAE@4FCC6?4:6D 76== @? uC:52J 2?5 E96 E@E2= >2C<6E G2=F6 @7 DE23=64@:?D 564=:?65[ DF886DE:?8 :?G6DE@CD H6C6 AF==:?8 >@?6J 7C@> 5:8:E2= 2DD6ED]k^Am