Russian darknet platform hacked and 1.6 BTC stolen to donate to Ukraine

Cyber espionage specialist Alex Holden revealed that he managed to infiltrate Russia’s largest online drug marketplace, called Solaris, and stole 1.6 bitcoins (BTC) from the website’s main wallet to donate them to Ukraine.

Holden, of Ukrainian descent and currently living in Wisconsin, U.S., declined to say how he carried out the theft. However, he recounted that, to pull off the heist, he used his team called Hold Security to take partial control of the Solaris infrastructure..

Among the items Holden was able to access were several administrator accounts, the website’s source code, and a database of its users, as well as drug distribution sites, explained Holden to Forbes magazine.

He was also able to enter the “master wallet,” which is used by drug buyers and traders to deposit and withdraw funds, serving the function of a cryptocurrency exchange.

It is from this access to the main wallet that he stole the BTC. Holden and his team found that transactions were fast and there were rarely more than 3 bitcoins, so he decided to steal 1.6 bitcoins..

The funds were donated to Enjoying Life, an association that provides humanitarian aid throughout Ukraine.

Enjoying Life co-founder Tina Mikhailovskaya confirmed that she received the donation and was delivered directly to the elderly, families, and displaced people. Internally displaced persons who suffered as a result of the war in Russia.

In this way, Holden wanted to make a contribution to the country in which he was born. and which is in the midst of a war with Russia.

Since the war actions began, Ukraine has turned cryptocurrency into a secure alternative for effective resource distributionas it has reported CryptoNews.

They are also the first nation-state in history to formally accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to finance the costs of a war. So far they have received 645 BTC, equivalent to US$10 million.