Orionx Shuts Down Amid $7 Million Crypto Heist

Chile is facing its biggest crypto crisis after Orionx, a Chile-based exchange, halted customer withdrawals and shut down operations due to a $7 million financial hole discovered during a forensic audit.

The audit found that an unknown number of transactions moved over $7 million in custodied assets to external wallets between 2018 and 2021. Orionx accused its founding partners Joaquín Díaz and Roberto Zibert, along with other former employees, of being aware of and involved in these transactions.

The exchange has reported the incidents to the national Public Prosecutor's Office and filed a criminal complaint against the former executives allegedly involved. Orionx also revealed that it had been operating illegally as its request for authorization was rejected in July.

The Financial Market Commission (CMF) stated that Orionx users should direct their requests to the company, keep records of their positions, and consider taking action through the courts to retrieve their funds or assets.