Mercado Bitcoin Suspends Operations After $49M Security Incident

• •Mercado Bitcoin suspended operations after a security incident drained approximately $49 million.
• •Tether froze over 4.5 million USDT linked to the breach, but the total loss remains unconfirmed.
• •The incident follows a recent major hack at Binance, raising concerns about security in the crypto industry.

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.