Sky Mavis co-founder’s wallets hit in $9.7M ETH exploit

• Jeffrey Zirlin said the hack compromised two of his personal wallets.
• The breach reportedly did not impact Ronin chain’s validation or operational aspects.

Jeffrey Zirlin, co-founder of Sky Mavis, has confirmed that a hacker has compromised two of his personal wallets.

Data shared by blockchain security firm PeckShield shows that the hacker stole approximately 3,248 Ether, worth about $9.7 million. The attacker withdrew the loot from the Ronin Bridge, with transfers made to the crypto mixing platform Tornado Cash.

Zirlin, whose Sky Mavis is the firm behind popular crypto game Axie Infinity hosted on the Ronin sidechain, however noted that the attack did not impact Ronin.

“The attack is limited to my personal accounts, and has nothing to do with validation or operations of the Ronin chain,” Zirlin posted on X. 

“Additionally, the leaked keys have nothing to do with Sky Mavis operations. I want to assure everyone that we have strict security measures in place for all chain related activities.”

An exploit on Ronin in March 2023 saw hackers steal $625 million in crypto. Law enforcement and blockchain security providers later linked the attack to Lazarus Group, a North Korea-backed hacker group.

Ronin (RON) price fell sharply today following the Sky Mavis co-founder’s hack news, dipping from $3.17 to lows of $2.74. RON was down 6% in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Axie Infinity (AXS) near $7.78, largely flat on the day.