Breaking: Mercado Bitcoin Halts Withdrawals as $40 Million Crypto Breach Hits XLM

Summary

• Mercado Bitcoin suspended deposits and withdrawals following suspicious cryptocurrency transfers exceeding $40 million across multiple blockchain networks, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
• Hypernative identified unauthorized transactions spanning at least 10 blockchains, with investigators flagging 106 Bitcoin and 2,852 Ethereum among affected assets.
• Stellar investigators traced approximately 6.7 million XLM, prompting Mercado Bitcoin to disclose a wallet address supporting asset tracking and recovery efforts.

Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin has suspended deposits and withdrawals following suspicious cryptocurrency transfers exceeding $40 million across multiple blockchain networks.  According to blockchain security firm Hypernative, unauthorized transfers affected several networks, including Stellar, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, while Mercado Bitcoin confirmed containment and assured customers of asset security and data protection.

Hypernative Tracks $40 Million in Suspicious Transfers Across Multiple Blockchains

Hypernative identified suspicious cryptocurrency transfers across at least 10 blockchain networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron, and Stellar. Other affected networks included Polygon, Arbitrum, Avalanche, and BNB Smart Chain, indicating the incident extended across multiple blockchain ecosystems.

Investigators recorded the initial suspicious transactions around 02:15 UTC, involving Bitcoin deposit addresses associated with Mercado Bitcoin. Among the flagged assets were 106 Bitcoin and 2,852 Ethereum, alongside additional cryptocurrency holdings transferred through various networks.

Atualização:

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— Mercado Bitcoin (@MercadoBitcoin) November 2, 2026

The suspicious movements exceeded $40 million, equivalent to approximately 217 million Brazilian reais, according to Hypernative’s blockchain monitoring findings. Investigators linked the transactions to operational wallets, raising concerns about potential exposure of exchange reserves rather than segregated customer holdings.

Mercado Bitcoin Reveals Stellar Address Following 6.7 Million XLM Transfers

Stellar emerged prominently in the investigation after blockchain analysts identified approximately 6.7 million XLM associated with suspicious cryptocurrency movements. Mercado Bitcoin subsequently published a Stellar destination address, allowing blockchain investigators and security companies to monitor potentially compromised assets.

Additionally, the exchange began coordinating with relevant authorities to trace suspicious transactions and identify possible cryptocurrency laundering activities. The platform maintained restrictions on customer deposits and withdrawals while its security team investigated the affected infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Mercado Bitcoin promised regular updates but provided no confirmed timeline for restoring normal deposit and withdrawal services. The exchange also advised customers against initiating additional deposits until security checks conclude and normal operations resume.

Investigators are still assessing the incident’s scope, while Mercado Bitcoin has yet to confirm the reported $40 million exposure.