Halloween DealsAmazon USHalloween week deals: useful picks before month-endAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan NowHalloween DealsAmazon USOctober picks are moving - compare before checkoutAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
World desk3 min

Bitget CEO Says Substantial Recovery Is Unlikely After $388 Million Hack

Bitget’s revised hack estimate is about $388 million. CEO Gracy Chen says major recovery is unlikely, while the amount returned to the exchange remains undisclosed.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen says she is “not expecting to recover a lot of funds” after unauthorized transfers from the exchange’s wallet infrastructure. As of Quartz’s October 2, 2026 report on Chen’s CNBC interview, about $1.1 million had been frozen—but Bitget had not disclosed how much, if any, had been returned to it. Frozen funds are not the same as recovered funds.

How much of the $388 million has Bitget recovered?

The amount returned to Bitget was undisclosed in Quartz’s October 2, 2026 report. CNBC, as reported by Quartz, put the amount frozen at approximately $1.1 million. Chen said frozen assets had not necessarily been returned to Bitget and declined to say how much had actually been recovered. The frozen figure therefore cannot be treated as a recovery total. Quartz’s report

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Chen’s comment describes her expectation, not a final accounting of the funds. The amount frozen could change, and the report does not establish what ultimately happened to those assets.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Why Bitget’s estimate rose from $351.6 million to about $388 million

Bitget’s current estimate of the theft is approximately $388 million, revised from its initial $351.6 million figure. The company says the updated total followed reconciliation of transfers across 12 wallet addresses; it is not an additional theft. Bitget says unauthorized transfers began on September 24, 2026, from portions of its hot and warm wallet infrastructure. Bitget’s incident explainer

#1 Best Overall
Yubico - Security Key C NFC - Basic Compatibility - Multi-Factor authentication (MFA) Security Key and passkey, Connect via USB-C or NFC, FIDO Certified
  • POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key C NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
  • WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key C NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
  • FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key C NFC via USB-C and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
  • TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
  • BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.

What Bitget says was affected

According to Bitget, the incident affected hot and warm wallets across 11 blockchains: Ethereum, XRP Ledger, Zcash, TRON, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, Algorand and Celestia. The company says cold wallets were unaffected, private-key compromise had been ruled out based on the investigation to date, and user account balances were not affected. Bitget described its temporary withdrawal pause as a security measure. These are the company’s statements about the incident. Bitget’s incident explainer

What investigators have said about the attack

Bitget describes the attack as involving a vulnerability in a third-party security product, internal access credentials and forged withdrawal commands that bypassed normal risk checks. In a preliminary September 28, 2026 status report, Mandiant described unauthorized privileged access to third-party security appliances, a web shell and command-and-control connection, and movement to a production wallet job server. Mandiant said its investigation was ongoing. Bitget later said independent reports from Mandiant and SlowMist were available by September 30. The sources cited here do not identify the affected product vendors. Bitget’s progress update · Mandiant’s preliminary report · Bitget Support Center update

Rank #2
Yubico - YubiKey 5C NFC - Multi-Factor authentication (MFA) Security Key and passkey, Connect via USB-C or NFC, FIDO Certified - Protect Your Online Accounts
  • POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5C NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
  • WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5C NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
  • FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
  • MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
  • PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts

The attack has not been publicly attributed to North Korea in the reporting cited here. Chen had earlier said preliminary technical indicators were consistent with known North Korean hacking groups, but Quartz reported that the Mandiant and SlowMist reports did not attribute the incident to a group. Attribution remains unconfirmed in that reporting. Quartz’s report · SlowMist investigation progress report

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

How the Protection Fund and Proof of Reserves relate to the loss

Protection Fund

Quartz reported that Bitget’s Protection Fund was above $464 million before the incident, fell below $200 million afterward, and was later rebuilt to above $300 million. Chen said Bitget replenished it with company capital and would absorb the financial impact rather than pass it to users. Those reported fund figures and statements do not show that the stolen assets themselves were recovered. Quartz’s report

Rank #3
Yubico - YubiKey 5 NFC - Multi-Factor authentication (MFA) Security Key and passkey, Connect via USB-A or NFC, FIDO Certified - Protect Your Online Accounts
  • POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5 NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
  • WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
  • FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
  • MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
  • PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts

Proof of Reserves

Bitget’s September 30, 2026 Proof of Reserves announcement reported an overall reserve ratio of 131% across 19 covered assets, based on a September 29 snapshot, with each covered asset above 100%. The company says Proof of Reserves compares assets with covered user balances and is separate from the Protection Fund. It does not measure how much of the stolen money has been returned. Bitget’s Proof of Reserves announcement

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What Bitget’s recovery bounty offers

Bitget’s incident response program states a bounty of 5% for eligible voluntary assistance that directly results in funds being frozen or recovered, subject to the program’s terms and exclusions. The bounty is not evidence that those funds have been returned to Bitget. Bitget’s incident progress page

Best Value
Yubico - YubiKey 5C - Multi-Factor authentication (MFA) Security Key and passkey, Connect via USB, FIDO Certified - Protect Your Online Accounts (5C)
  • POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5 is a versatile physical passkey that protects your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
  • WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
  • FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 via USB and tap it to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
  • MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it.
  • BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
Rank #4
Yubico - Security Key NFC - Basic Compatibility - Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Key, Connect via USB-A or NFC, FIDO Certified
  • POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
  • WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
  • FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
  • TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
  • BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Wire

  1. World desk4 min
    How to Spot an AI Voice Scam Before Sending MoneyDon’t rely on how a caller sounds. Pause, call back through a known number, and verify the emergency with another trusted person before sending money.
  2. Mountain View desk4 min
    Google’s SynthID Detector: How to Check AI-Generated Images, Video and AudioGoogle’s SynthID Detector looks for an embedded watermark in supported images, video and audio. Here is what its results do—and do not—show.
  3. Redmond desk20 min
    How to create a link to File or Folder in Windows 11Windows 11 gives you several ways to point to a file or folder without moving or duplicating it. You can create a desktop shortcut,…
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?Free scan - under a minute

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.