Bitstamp rumor discussion thread - finds and speculation

[Watoshi-Dimobuto]

Facts:

1. https://www.bitstamp.net/ suspends service

2. Email received by customers.

3. Clearly says : one of Bitstamp’s operational wallets was compromised on January 4th, 2015."

4. Very confusing price moves. Slumps (to 260-270) before this. Stable after announcing this?


Rumors:

1. 18k bitcoins stolen?
reasonable proof is provided. well can't be sure tho.h
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2re2pw/18864_coins_stolen_from_stamp_that_doesnt_look/

High tx fee : Could be Bitstamp moving them or the hacker moving them.

2. Price slump directly corresponds to this?
Suspicious.

3.

What I find interesting is that they basically halted trading by shutting the site down.

Why halt trading? If there are not deposits nor withdrawals that should not matter on buying or selling.

Seems suspect to me.

They want to manipulate the market by preventing panic sells.

Lower prices in the longer term aren't good for their revenues which are based on percentage fees.

Yup, BitStamp crash protection squad leaps into action !  

That and possibly to stop people moving BTC off the exchange via Ripple ...

Bitstamp users, who were using innovative methods such as Ripple to get their money out of Bitstamp, are now unable to perform any actions on the Bitstamp site

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/wallet-breach-causes-bitcoin-exchange-bitstamp-to-temporarily-suspend-service/

Quite likely.

4. Bitstamp - mtgox2.0 . not very likely

[dscotese]

I wanted to suggest this to Bitstamp:

If you publish the btc addresses that were in the operational wallet that was compromised, then everyone running a mining rig with a client that has an exclusion list file can avoid providing confirmations to the thief until and unless Bitstamp publishes a solution.  Some exclusion lists might also feature the ability to allow exceptions when a transaction spends an output into a specified set of addresses, which would allow Bitstamp to request of all interested miners to allow only those transactions that move the bitcoin from their compromised operational wallet into a new protected address.

Obviously, Bitstamp would have to provide some evidence that any such information is coming from them.

[ElectricMucus]

4. Bitstamp - mtgox2.0 . not very likely

why not?

[celebreze32]

4. Bitstamp - mtgox2.0 . not very likely

why not?

Maybe because of this.

https://twitter.com/nejc_kodric/status/552615256452001792

[Melbustus]

...

3.

What I find interesting is that they basically halted trading by shutting the site down.

Why halt trading? If there are not deposits nor withdrawals that should not matter on buying or selling.

Seems suspect to me.

They want to manipulate the market by preventing panic sells.

Lower prices in the longer term aren't good for their revenues which are based on percentage fees.

Yup, BitStamp crash protection squad leaps into action !  

That and possibly to stop people moving BTC off the exchange via Ripple ...

Bitstamp users, who were using innovative methods such as Ripple to get their money out of Bitstamp, are now unable to perform any actions on the Bitstamp site

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/wallet-breach-causes-bitcoin-exchange-bitstamp-to-temporarily-suspend-service/

Quite likely.

...

Disagree. I think most rational decision makers in any bitcoin operation, especially an exchange or custodial wallet provider, that was just hacked to the tune of thousands of BTC is entirely correct in suspending *all* business activity. Heck, the first thing I'd do is unplug every internet connection the business has.