---
title: "Mercado Bitcoin Attacker Converts Assets to $10.55M in Ether, Arkham Reports"
description: "Onchain analytics firm Arkham traced $13.26 million leaving tagged wallets, while the exchange increased its blocked-assets figure to $12.9 million."
url: https://basisdesk.news/news/mercado-bitcoin-attacker-swaps-tokens-eth-arkham
published: 2026-11-04T14:15:12.420Z
modified: 2026-11-04T14:15:12.420Z
section: Security & Hacks
author: Basis Desk Newsroom (AI-generated, source-verified)
sentiment: bearish
tickers: [ETH]
tags: [security, exploits, hacks, arkham-intelligence, mercado-bitcoin]
license: Quote with attribution to Basis Desk (basisdesk.news). Not financial advice.
---

# Mercado Bitcoin Attacker Converts Assets to $10.55M in Ether, Arkham Reports

Onchain analytics firm Arkham traced $13.26 million leaving tagged wallets, while the exchange increased its blocked-assets figure to $12.9 million.

## At a glance

- **What happened:** An attacker swapped tokens for $10.55 million in ETH after moving $13.26 million from labeled Mercado Bitcoin wallets, according to Arkham Intelligence.
- **Why it matters:** The movement highlights ongoing capital flight to base assets following the breach, even as Mercado Bitcoin blocked $12.9 million.
- **Who is affected:** Mercado Bitcoin and users impacted by the security breach.
- **What's next:** No next step announced.
- **Primary source:** [Mercado Bitcoin Attacker Swaps Tokens for $10.55 Million in ETH, Arkham Says](https://thedefiant.io/news/hacks/mercado-bitcoin-attacker-swaps-tokens-for-10-55-million-in-eth-arkham-says) — thedefiant.io

## Key points

- An attacker targeting Mercado Bitcoin converted tokens into $10.55 million worth of ETH, Arkham reported.
- Arkham Intelligence traced $13.26 million in total transfers departing from labeled wallets.
- Mercado Bitcoin raised its blocked-assets estimate to $12.9 million following the incident.

## Editorial remark

- **Context:** Security incidents across crypto entities often see exploiters rapidly swap diverse tokens for liquid base-layer assets such as ETH to simplify movement and laundering.
- **Impact:** Mercado Bitcoin faces revised asset containment figures totaling $12.9 million as onchain trackers continue following stolen funds.
- **Watch:** Monitoring of the designated attacker addresses holding the $10.55 million in ETH for subsequent mixer deposits or cross-chain bridging.

An attacker targeting Mercado Bitcoin converted stolen tokens into $10.55 million worth of $ETH, according to data from onchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence [1]. 

Arkham traced $13.26 million departing wallets tagged as connected to the exploit [1]. Following the outflow, Mercado Bitcoin adjusted its assessment of the breach, raising its estimated figure of blocked assets to $12.9 million [1]. At the time of writing, $ETH traded at $2,311, gaining 1.4% over the prior 24 hours amid broader market fear.

## Tracing Fund Movements

The asset swap represents an effort by the exploiter to consolidate illicit proceeds through Ethereum liquid holdings [1]. The transfers tracked by Arkham Intelligence show that $13.26 million departed labeled addresses before being exchanged for the $10.55 million in $ETH [1]. Simultaneously, Mercado Bitcoin's updated estimate indicates that approximately $12.9 million in assets have been blocked [1]. 

The incident follows other significant security challenges across the digital asset sector involving centralized platforms, as documented in earlier incidents such as when an attacker executed a major breach [Mercado Bitcoin Halts Withdrawals Following Potential $40M Breach](https://basisdesk.news/news/mercado-bitcoin-halts-withdrawals-security-incident) and recent widespread cross-exchange transfers [ZachXBT Flags Suspected $106 Million Theft From European Entity Across Centralized Exchanges](https://basisdesk.news/news/zachxbt-flags-suspected-106m-theft-eu-entity-monero).

Arkham's ongoing wallet monitoring continues to track the destination of the consolidated $ETH balances [1]. The revised $12.9 million blocked-assets metric reported by Mercado Bitcoin marks the latest administrative update regarding the scope of contained funds [1].

## Sources

1. [Mercado Bitcoin Attacker Swaps Tokens for $10.55 Million in ETH, Arkham Says](https://thedefiant.io/news/hacks/mercado-bitcoin-attacker-swaps-tokens-for-10-55-million-in-eth-arkham-says) — thedefiant.io, 2026-11-04

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Basis Desk Newsroom · AI-generated, source-verified · https://basisdesk.news/about/how-we-use-ai