Hardware wallet startup Ledger offers bitcoin bounty for information on data attacks

Ledger, the crypto wallet firm, has put up a bitcoin bounty worth approximately $350,000 for information on the attackers behind a series of data leaks.

The company has published a detailed blog post laying out the recent history of leaks and phishing attacks that have compromised the personal information of hundreds of thousands of its customers in recent months.

The situation began in last summer with a breach of Ledger’s e-commerce and marketing database, with the most recent incident coming in December, when Ledger was informed by Shopify that a “rogue member” of the e-commerce giant’s support team had obtained customer transactional records relating to Ledger and other firms.

Since the summer, the number of phishing attacks against its customers has spiked.

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

In response, Ledger has taken a series of steps including filling a wallet with 10 BTC which it will reward to anyone who can provide information that leads to the identification, arrest and successful prosecution of the cyber-criminals. The company is also hoping to persuade others in the crypto industry to contribute to the initiative.

Ledger is also hiring additional private investigators and making changes to the way it handles information, which includes the launch of a new technical solution that will pave the way for funds insurance for individual customers.

“We are all here for the same reason: we are long-time believers in the value and future of cryptocurrency and digital assets,” said Ledger in a statement, adding:

“We at Ledger have learned very important lessons and will continue to work hard to ensure your trust is well-placed in us. We are humbled. We are becoming stronger and more resilient as a result.” 

About Author

Ryan Weeks is deals editor at the The Block, focused on fundraising, M&A and institutional trends in the crypto space, among other things. He is particularly interested in investigative work — so please send tips! Ryan previously worked at Financial News, Dow Jones as a fintech correspondent in London. Prior to that, he wrote for several different publications, including Sifted, AltFi and Wired. Beyond journalism, Ryan is a keen reader and writer. He enjoys all things active, especially running, rugby, climbing and tennis.