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Colonial Pipeline Paid Almost $5M Crypto Ransom Soon After Attack: Report
The company previously said it would not pay the hackers.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:55 p.m. Published May 13, 2021, 3:12 p.m.
Colonial Pipeline paid almost $5 million in ransom to allegedly Eastern European hackers, contrary to reports the company had no intention of doing so.
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- The private company paid the ransom in "untraceable cryptocurrency" to restore functionality to the U.S.' largest pipeline, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
- The sum was paid within hours of the attack to the hackers, identified by the FBI as having links to the DarkSide group, according to Bloomberg's report.
- While "untraceable cryptocurrency" may point to a privacy coin like monero being used, CNN reported Wednesday the ransomware group had demanded payment in bitcoin.
- Colonial Pipeline resumed operations Wednesday, meaning petroleum could begin reaching five states in the East Coast region, including Florida and Georgia.
See also: ‘Panda’ Malware Targets Crypto Wallets and Users’ Discord, Telegram Accounts
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- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
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Canadian Province Wins Forfeiture of $1M QuadrigaCX Co-Founder's Cash & Gold via Default Judgment
The ruling transfers cash, gold bars, watches, and jewelry seized from a CIBC safety deposit box and bank account into government hands after Patryn did not defend the case.
What to know:
- The Supreme Court of British Columbia has forfeited $1 million in cash and gold tied to QuadrigaCX's co-founder, Michael Patryn, to the government.
- Patryn did not contest the forfeiture, which involved 45 gold bars, luxury watches, and over $250,000 in cash seized under an Unexplained Wealth Order.
- The forfeiture may lead to a process determining if any assets can be directed to QuadrigaCX's creditors, who received 13 cents on the dollar in the bankruptcy settlement.
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