🕯️ Tuesday, June 18 will be remembered as a dark day for decentralization. Iran, a key player in the clandestine crypto scene, has suffered an almost total collapse of its network, accompanied by one of the most aggressive cyberattacks ever seen against the blockchain ecosystem.
🔻 It all began with a digital blackout of 97% of internet traffic in the country. Without warning, Iranians were cut off: VPNs, social networks, messaging apps, payment platforms, and banking access were blocked. It wasn't a technical failure, but a direct decision by the regime, supposedly to 'prevent cyberattacks.'
But the threat was already underway...
💣 The hacker group Predatory Sparrow – known for its surgical precision and ties to Israel – launched a multiple offensive:
1. Bank Sepah, one of the largest in Iran, was breached: banking transactions, ATMs, and gasoline sales were halted.
2. Within hours, the target was Nobitex, the largest crypto exchange in the country. There they stole and destroyed over $90 million in BTC, ETH, USDT, and other tokens.
And it wasn't an ordinary theft: the funds were sent to inaccessible addresses, marked with messages on the blockchain such as:
👉 “IRGC finances destroyed,”
👉 “This money will not be used again to oppress.”
📉 The market reacted. P2P exchanges in the Middle East saw a 12% drop in liquidity for pairs like BTC/USDT, and thousands of users lost access to their funds due to the blackout. BTC dropped 4% within hours. ETH plummeted even further.
⚠️ This event reminds us of something essential:
> Decentralization is not enough if there is no digital freedom.
Iran had an active crypto ecosystem, partly as a refuge against sanctions. Today, that is also in jeopardy. When a government can cut internet access to an entire country and an attack can 'burn' millions of dollars in digital assets... we need to rethink the security of our finances.
💡 This attack was not to steal, it was to destroy value. A declared war... in blockchain language.
🌍 What can ordinary users do?
🔐 Strengthen security.
🏃♀️ Diversify exchanges and wallets.
📢 Raise your voice for an open and free network.
📌 We will continue to provide updates as this crisis evolves.
🪶 FenixBrun Chile shines on its own✨️✨️
