Share this article

New Zealand Crypto Exchange Cryptopia Goes Offline Citing Hack

New Zealand-based cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia has gone offline claiming "significant" losses arising from a hack.

Updated Sep 13, 2021, 8:48 a.m. Published Jan 15, 2019, 9:45 a.m.
Hacker

New Zealand-based cryptocurrency exchange Cryptopia has gone offline citing a major hack.

The exchange announced the news on Twitter this morning, stating that it “suffered a security breach which resulted in significant losses.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

No information has yet been provided on the value of the losses, the tokens and currencies affected or any measures to refund users.

The exchange's website, including support and blog pages, is currently completely offline, with a notice stating: "Cryptopia is currently in unscheduled maintenance mode. We will be back soon."

Meanwhile, tweets from Whale Alert on Saturday indicated that 19,391 ether tokens worth nearly $2.44 million and around 48 million centrality (CENNZ) tokens worth about $1.18 million were transferred from Cryptopia to unknown wallets on Jan. 13. It is not currently clear if those funds were moved by the hacker or by the exchange.

Cryptopia further mentioned in its tweet that it has notified and involved relevant government agencies, including the New Zealand police and the High-Tech Crimes Unit, who are “jointly and actively investigating the matter as a major crime and they are assisting us with advice.”

The announcement further reads:

“Until this has been carried out, The Cryptopia Exchange will remain in maintenance mode, with trading suspended. We are committed to getting this resolved as quickly as possible and will keep you all updated every step of the way.”

Hacker image via Shutterstock

More For You

KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

16:9 Image

KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

What to know:

  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

More For You

Bitcoin and ether volatility trading gets easier with Polymarket's new contracts

Poker chips (AidanHowe/Pixabay)

Polymarket has launched new prediction markets tied to Volmex's bitcoin and ether 30-day implied volatility indices.

What to know:

  • Polymarket has launched new prediction markets tied to Volmex's bitcoin and ether 30-day implied volatility indices, allowing users to bet on how high volatility will get in 2026.
  • The contracts pay out if volatility indices reach or exceed a preset level by Dec. 31, 2026, letting traders wager on the intensity of price swings rather than market direction.
  • Early trading implies roughly a one-in-three chance that bitcoin and ether volatility will nearly double from current levels.