Hackers have reportedly stolen funds from Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. 

Gonjeshke Darande, a hacker group with Israeli ties, has claimed responsibility for the hack. The stolen funds, which amount to more than $90 million, were transmitted to addresses that contained messages criticizing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. 

“It is very unusual to see millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency burned with the sole purpose of causing disruption and making a political statement,” remarks Lidia López Sanz, Strategic Research Lead at Outpost2. “There have been other major attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges, for example the North Korean state-sponsored group Lazarus is well known for such attacks, but those had mainly a financial gain motivation. In this case, Gonjeshke Darande appears to have chosen to not steal the funds for profit, but in order to deliver a stronger message.”

This theft ranges across various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum and more. This hack is an apparent result of the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.