A hacker breached the cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex, stealing millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. The culprit recently shifted 1,100 Ethereum (ETH) to Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer, following a previous transfer of $32 million in Bitcoin (BTC) to another wallet.

According to on-chain data, the hacker, who stole $125 million from Poloniex in November 2023, moved 1,100 ETH to Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer under U.S. sanctions. There are concerns that the hacker might sell the ETH sent to Tornado Cash.

The inactive ETH, valued at around $3.3 million, was untouched for 178 days before the recent transfers to Tornado Cash. Prior to this, on April 30, the hacker generated headlines by transferring 501 BTC worth $32 million to a wallet.

According to Arkham's data, the hacker's wallet maintains control over $181 million in cryptocurrency on various blockchains.

Tornado Cash Continues to Be Used Despite Sanctions

Tornado Cash is a protocol permitting users to cloak the trace of cryptocurrencies by combining assets through several wallet addresses over a prolonged period. The U.S. Treasury Department included it on the sanctions list in 2022 after it was exploited by the North Korean hacker group Lazarus Group in concealing funds embezzled in the $625 million Axie Infinity (AXS) hack.

Despite its sanctions listing, Tornado Cash persists in disguising the trail of funds hijacked in cryptocurrency hacks. In March, Elliptic, a blockchain security firm, asserted that Lazarus Group employed Tornado Cash in laundering $12 million in cryptocurrency looted right after the Poloniex hack during the Heco Bridge hack incident, validating the ongoing utilization of the protocol.

(The original post initially appeared on COINTURK NEWS: Hacker Strikes Again, Moves Millions in Cryptocurrency)