A pro-Israel hacker group calling itself “Predatory Sparrow” has crippled Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, by destroying over $90 million in crypto assets on June 18th. This wasn’t a profit-driven hack; the funds were intentionally rendered unusable. The attack followed a similar claim of responsibility for an attack against Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah. The hackers stated that Nobitex was used by the Iranian regime to circumvent sanctions and support its operations. Nobitex reported unauthorized access and immediately halted operations, with its website and app still unavailable. The hackers, known as “Gonjeshke Darande,” have threatened to release Nobitex’s source code and internal documents if any funds are recovered. “Predatory Sparrow” has previously targeted Iranian infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts suggest these attacks coincide with heightened geopolitical conflicts. The group’s actions appear to be politically motivated, aiming to undermine the Iranian regime’s financial capabilities.
