Hacker Taunts ZachXBT After Moving $65.1 Million Post Coinbase Breach

The hacker behind the recent Coinbase data breach has publicly taunted the well-known crypto investigator ZachXBT. The hacker used an Ethereum transaction to send a mocking message, which included a link to a YouTube meme video featuring NBA legend James Worthy smoking a cigar. The message, "L bozo," is a derogatory term used to insult ZachXBT, implying that he is a "loser" who has suffered a "loss."

ZachXBT, recognized for his work in exposing crypto scams and fraudulent activities, identified the hacker as the same individual or group responsible for the data breach that affected Coinbase users. The hacker's taunt followed the movement of approximately $42.5 million from Bitcoin to Ethereum via THORChain. Additionally, the hacker transferred 8,698 ETH, valued at around $22.6 million, an hour after sending the initial message. ZachXBT detected these transactions through a notice on the Telegram channel Investigations.

The data breach, which exposed over 69,400 Coinbase users, was discovered on May 11 this year. Following the disclosure, the attackers demanded a $20 million ransom in Bitcoin to prevent the release of the stolen information. Coinbase refused to pay the ransom and instead offered the same amount as a bounty for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

The hacker's actions come at a time when Coinbase is facing significant financial repercussions due to the data breach. The company is estimated to incur costs between $180 million and $400 million for remediation efforts and potential customer compensation. Coinbase has not yet commented on the implications of the hacker's taunts directed at ZachXBT.

ZachXBT, who operates under a pseudonym, has been a prominent figure in the crypto community for his efforts in uncovering various scams and fraudulent activities. In 2023, he faced a defamation lawsuit but received substantial support from the crypto community, including over $1 million in donations from high-profile figures such as Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and Tron founder Justin Sun. Last year, ZachXBT was hired by the research-driven crypto investment firm Paradigm as an incident response advisor.