He Tested with $50… and Lost $50 Million
A simple $50 test. A final loss of $50 million.
This case highlights one of the most underestimated risks in the crypto space: the address poisoning attack. Believing they were acting cautiously, the victim first sent a small amount to confirm the validity of the destination address.
After this initial transfer was successfully completed, a malicious actor took advantage of the transaction history. By inserting a fraudulent address that was almost identical to the legitimate one, the attacker exploited a moment of inattention to divert the main transfer. This method relies more on behavioral manipulation than on a technical vulnerability.
Assuming they were reusing the previously tested address, the victim proceeded to send the full amount without carefully verifying each character. This common habit was enough to redirect $50 million to a fraudulent wallet, with no possibility of reversal or recovery.
This incident underscores a critical reality: most major crypto losses do not result from direct hacks, but from operational mistakes. Overconfidence, routine actions, and blind reliance on copy-paste practices represent significant risks, even for experienced users.
To mitigate these threats, adopting stronger security solutions is essential. Tangem provides a practical response by reducing exposure to human error through secure private key management, physical transaction confirmation, and an architecture that minimizes reliance on copied addresses from transaction histories.
Ultimately, this high profile loss reinforces a fundamental truth: in crypto, security depends as much on discipline and tools as it does on technology. Choosing solutions like Tangem ( code promo : EROSCRYPTO ) means adding a critical layer of protection against mistakes that, as this case demonstrates, can cost millions.
