Several news outlets reported on 2 November 2026 that Brazil's Mercado Bitcoin paused deposits and withdrawals after a security incident in which funds were drained from its wallets. CoinDesk reported the exchange paused deposits and withdrawals after wallets on at least 10 chains were emptied [1]. The Block reported Mercado Bitcoin confirmed a security incident and paused withdrawals [2]. The reports are labeled unverified: they come from established outlets but were not confirmed at the source. [1] [2]

The exchange's own account, as reported, says customers suffered no losses. The Defiant reported that Mercado Bitcoin kept customer withdrawals suspended and that the exchange says customers suffered no losses [7][8]. According to that report, the exchange's disclosure links the incident to destination wallets receiving bitcoin, ether and other assets [9]. Cointelegraph reported the exchange said customer funds and data were safe after pausing deposits and withdrawals [5]. [5] [7] [8] [9]

Reported loss figures differ. The Block and Cointelegraph put the loss at $46 million, while CoinDesk, Decrypt and community posts cited $40 million, according to the material; a community post on r/Bitcoin said the exchange suspended deposits and withdrawals after reportedly being hacked for over $40 million [6]. The Defiant reported that a breach wallet sent 2,800 ETH onward while deposits and withdrawals remained suspended [4]. [4] [6]

Blockchain trackers and Tether gave their own figures. The Defiant reported that Arkham says the Mercado Bitcoin attacker holds $46 million, with the tracker grouping 36 addresses [13][14]. The Defiant also reported that Chainalysis estimates the hack at $49 million across 17 chains [16]. Tether says it froze over 4.5 million USDT tied to the Mercado Bitcoin incident [10], and Decrypt reported Tether froze more than 4.5 million USDT tied to the attack [3]. [3] [10] [13] [14] [16]

On the freeze, The Defiant reported that Ethereum and Tron records confirm blacklist actions against exchange-identified wallets, while deposits and withdrawals remain suspended [11][12]. Mercado Bitcoin separately says $11 million has been blocked and promises no customer losses, according to The Defiant, which also reported that access to services remains suspended [17][18][19]. [11] [12] [17] [18] [19]

What remains unconfirmed is the size of the loss and the full extent of the incident. The reports carry an unverified label, meaning they were not confirmed at the source. Mercado Bitcoin says customers suffered no losses but has not disclosed a total loss [15]. The figures reported range from about $40 million to $49 million, and the exchange's statement that $11 million has been blocked is separate from those totals [17]. [15] [17]