Tether-Backed Orionx Exchange Shuts Down Amid $7 Million Asset Shortfall

Tether-backed crypto exchange Orionx has shut down after discovering a $7 million shortfall in customer assets. The company, which received an investment from Tether in 2025, suspended withdrawals and launched an internal review.

Orionx's forensic audit found that over $7 million in cryptocurrency had been transferred to wallets outside the company's control between 2018 and 2021. The exchange accused two former co-founders, Roberto Zibert and Joaquín Díaz, of allegedly having access to Orionx's cryptocurrency custody system.

Zibert and Díaz denied the allegations, stating that they had never acted against customers' interests and that the cause of the asset shortfall has yet to be established. Orionx has operated since 2017 and offered cryptocurrency payments and financial services in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico.