Binance Hacker Swaps $95.9M Stolen Solana Into Bitcoin Via Relay Protocol: 12 outlets compared
A wallet linked to the Binance hack transferred $95.9M in Solana (SOL) to Bitcoin (BTC) via Relay Protocol. The FBI attributed the hack to North Korea's TraderTraitor, urging exchanges to block related transactions. THORChain's outage delayed laundering of stolen funds. Traders are positioning for SOL downside, with key support at $90.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The disclosed swaps represent the first public accounting of a $95.9M SOL liquidation, creating immediate price pressure on SOL and buying interest in BTC.
Market read
The hack’s scale and the cross‑chain mechanics are novel, affecting SOL and BTC price dynamics and prompting heightened security focus on bridging services.
What to watch
Potential regulatory scrutiny on cross‑chain protocols like Relay could affect related projects beyond SOL and BTC.
Background
The article details a Binance hack where the attacker moved large amounts of SOL into BTC via Relay Protocol, with FBI attribution to North Korean actors and related THORChain disruptions.
Ticker impact
A Binance hacker swapped 970,522 SOL ($95.9M) for BTC, indicating a large sell pressure on SOL.
likely pressure as the market prices in the large SOL sell‑off
The article reports the first disclosure of a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar SOL liquidation, a material event for the token.
The same hacker converted the stolen SOL into Bitcoin, creating buying demand for BTC.
likely upside as the market absorbs the BTC inflow
First report of a $95.9M SOL‑to‑BTC swap suggests fresh demand for Bitcoin.
Market effects
Highlights ongoing crypto‑theft laundering risks and may prompt tighter monitoring of cross‑chain bridges.
Global impact on crypto markets; no specific regional effect.
Significant for the broader crypto ecosystem due to the size of the hack.
Counterpoint
Some traders may view the BTC inflow as a short‑term catalyst for a pullback if the hacker exits positions quickly.
Key entities
- exchangeBinance
Target of the hack; its compromised wallet performed the swaps.
- cross‑chain serviceRelay Protocol
Facilitated the SOL‑to‑BTC conversion.
- cross‑chain DEXTHORChain
Experienced outage that slowed laundering of the stolen funds.




