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Mercado Bitcoin Halts Withdrawals After Security Incident, Tether Freezes USDT

Coinmarketcap • November 2, 2026

Mercado Bitcoin said it identified and contained a security incident in one of its systems early on Monday and temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals.

The Brazilian exchange said there was no harm to customers and no data breach, and it published destination addresses tied to the incident on EVM networks, Bitcoin, Solana, Stellar and Tron.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said Tether froze more than 4.5 million USDT related to the incident, while analytics firm Arkham said the attacker holds $46 million in crypto; the exchange has not confirmed a loss figure.

The exchange has not disclosed the value of the assets involved or said when operations will resume.

What Mercado Bitcoin Has Said the Incident

Deposits and withdrawals were suspended as a precaution, and the exchange's teams are investigating, tracking the assets and coordinating with the competent authorities, Mercado Bitcoin said.

Tether Freezes USDT Tied to the Incident

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Mercado Bitcoin Suspends Operations After $49M Security Incident On November 2, 2026, Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin suspended all deposits and withdrawals following a significant security incident that reportedly drained approximately $49 million from its wallets. The exchange claimed that no customer funds were lost and no personal data was compromised, although it did not disclose how the breach occurred or the specific systems affected. Blockchain security firm Hypernative estimated that over $40 million was transferred across multiple blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, in unauthorized transactions. Tether confirmed it froze over 4.5 million USDT related to the incident. The exchange is currently investigating the breach and working with authorities to trace the stolen assets. Despite the suspension, some funds continued to move from affected addresses after the announcement, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the containment measures. Mercado Bitcoin has published destination addresses for tracking purposes but has not provided a timeline for resuming operations. 37 sources 67

Mercado Bitcoin Halts Withdrawals After Security Incident, Tether Freezes USDT

The full story

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