$13.74M Hack Shuts Down Sanctioned Grinex Exchange After Intelligence Claims
Apr 18, 2026
Money Laundering / Regulatory Compliance
Grinex, a Kyrgyzstan-incorporated cryptocurrency exchange sanctioned by the U.K. and the U.S. last year, said it's suspending operations after it blamed Western intelligence agencies for a $13.74 million hack. The exchange said it fell victim to what it described as a large-scale cyber attack that bore hallmarks of foreign intelligence agency involvement. This attack led to the theft of over 1 billion rubles in user funds. "Digital forensic evidence and the nature of the attack point to an unprecedented level of resources and technological sophistication – capabilities typically available exclusively to the agencies of hostile states," the company said in a statement posted on its website. "Preliminary findings suggest the attack was coordinated with the specific objective of inflicting direct damage upon Russia's financial sovereignty." A spokesperson for the company went on to state that the exchange's infrastructure had been under attack since ...
