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🗞️ Story file #1156

Binance reports potential $6.3 billion security breach

Oct 29, 9 PM ET to Oct 30, 6 AM ET

👣 How this story traveled: from the front pages that broke it, out through TV, radio and the shows, into what people retold and what fact-checkers examined, and on into the saga it is part of. Everything here is matched to the story by our tools, so a link can be wrong; the trackers' pages say how each is made.

  1. Oct 29, 9 PM ETfirst on a front page: The Guardian
  2. Oct 29, 10 PM ETfirst on TV: BBC News
  3. Oct 30, 2 AM ETfirst on the radio: NPR News Now
  4. Oct 30, 4 AM ETretold online by 11 people
  5. Oct 30, 6 AM ETpeak: on 21 front pages

📰 Spread

the front pages that ran it, hour by hour

Oct 29, 10 PMOct 302 AM4 AM6 AM1021leftcenterright
Front pages carrying it at each hourly run, Oct 29, 9 PM to Oct 30, 6 AM ET (peak 21), by the outlets' lean: left · center · right
Oct 29, 10 PMOct 302 AM4 AM6 AMReutersReutersReuters, Oct 29, 8:01 PM ET: Tether, Circle freeze $2.38 billion after Binance reports security incidentReuters, Oct 29, 10:01 PM ET: Binance's possible hack triggers $3 billion freeze in crypto assetsReuters, Oct 30, 3:00 AM ET: Where Binance's $6.3 billion breach ranks in crypto's biggest hacks and heistsReuters, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: Where Binance's $6.3 billion breach ranks in crypto's biggest hacks and heists - ReutersReuters, Oct 30, 6:00 AM ET: Blockchain analysis firm TRM says North Korea behind Binance crypto theft - ReutersNew York PostNew York PostNew York Post, Oct 29, 8:01 PM ET: Binance founder says crypto exchange may have been hacked — leading to firms freezing over $2BAxiosAxiosAxios, Oct 29, 8:01 PM ET: Binance probes what may be biggest-ever crypto hackAxios, Oct 30, 12:00 AM ET: Binance halts trading after biggest-ever crypto hackCNBCCNBCCNBC, Oct 29, 8:01 PM ET: Binance 'potential security issue' sees $2.54 billion frozenCNBC, Oct 29, 10:01 PM ET: Billions in crypto frozen after Binance hack. Here's what happens nextCNBC, Oct 29, 11:00 PM ET: Biggest-ever crypto hack impacts $6.3 billion as Binance works to contain falloutCNBC, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: Bitcoin tumbles as Binance hack rattles crypto marketsAPAPAP, Oct 29, 9:01 PM ET: Binance reports ‘potential security issue’ as stablecoin issuers freeze millions in fundsAP, Oct 30, 12:00 AM ET: Binance flags ‘potential security issue,’ says crypto firms froze more than $2.5 billionAP, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: Binance flags ‘potential security issue,’ says approximately $6.3 billion impactedThe GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, Oct 29, 9:01 PM ET: Crypto firms freeze more than $2.5bn in funds as Binance investigates potential hackThe Guardian, Oct 29, 10:01 PM ET: Crypto firms freeze more than $3bn in funds as Binance investigates potential hackThe Guardian, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: Crypto exchange Binance freezes billions in funds amid potential $6.3bn security breachThe Guardian, Oct 30, 4:00 AM ET: ‘Elite North Korean hackers’ blamed for $6.3bn Binance hackThe Guardian, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: ‘Elite North Korean group’ blamed for $6.3bn Binance hack in biggest ever crypto heistNewsmaxNewsmaxNewsmax, Oct 29, 9:01 PM ET: Binance Probes Hack; $2.5 Billion in Crypto FrozenBBCBBCBBC, Oct 29, 9:01 PM ET: Crypto giant Binance freezes $2.5bn of assets over suspected hackBBC, Oct 29, 10:01 PM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected Binance hackBBC, Oct 30, 12:00 AM ET: Binance says crypto worth $6.3bn impacted in suspected hackBBC, Oct 30, 1:00 AM ET: Crypto giant Binance hit by 'largest hack in history'BBC, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: Crypto giant Binance hit by hack suspected to be largest in historyBBC, Oct 30, 3:00 AM ET: Crypto giant Binance hit by $6.3bn hack suspected to be largest in historyBBC, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: What we know about Binance's $6.3bn hackHuffPostHuffPostHuffPost, Oct 29, 10:01 PM ET: Binance Flags ‘Potential Security Issue,’ Says Crypto Firms Froze More Than $2.5 BillionHuffPost, Oct 30, 12:00 AM ET: Binance Flags ‘Potential Security Issue,’ Says Approximately $6.3 Billion ImpactedHuffPost, Oct 30, 6:00 AM ET: Blockchain Intelligence Firms Link North Korea To $6.3B Hack On BinanceBusiness InsiderBusiness InsiderBusiness Insider, Oct 29, 11:00 PM ET: Binance and Polymarket are investigating potential hacks. The former says it's frozen around $3 billion.Business Insider, Oct 30, 1:00 AM ET: Binance and Polymarket are investigating potential hacks. The former says $6.3 billion is affected.Financial TimesFinancial TimesFinancial Times, Oct 29, 11:00 PM ET: Binance halts withdrawals after $6.3bn hackFinancial Times, Oct 30, 3:00 AM ET: Binance halts withdrawals after record $6.3bn heistYahoo NewsYahoo NewsYahoo News, Oct 30, 12:00 AM ET: After what may be the biggest-ever crypto heist, Binance freezes $3 billion in assetsYahoo News, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: Hackers steal record $6.3 billion from Binance in just 20 minutesJust the NewsJust the NewsJust the News, Oct 30, 1:00 AM ET: Crypto giant Binance reports $6.3 billion potential ‘security incident’CNNCNNCNN, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: World’s largest crypto exchange hit by record $6 billion heist Hackers stole over $6 billion in cryptocurrency on Thursday, shattering the record for the largest such heist as multiple investigators pointed the finger at North KoreaThe Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post, Oct 30, 2:00 AM ET: Crypto firms freeze $3 billion as fears of a massive hack spreadThe Washington Post, Oct 30, 3:00 AM ET: Binance freezes billions in cryptocurrency after massive hackFortuneFortuneFortune, Oct 30, 3:00 AM ET: The $6.3 billion Binance hack: What we know so far about the biggest crypto heist in historyABC NewsABC NewsABC News, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: Binance estimates security breach impact at $6.3 billionUSA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: Hackers steal $6.3 billion in world's biggest crypto heistNew York TimesNew York TimesNew York Times, Oct 30, 5:01 AM ET: Binance Grapples With ‘Security Incident’ That May Cause $6.3 Billion in LossesMarketWatchMarketWatchMarketWatch, Oct 30, 6:00 AM ET: Here’s when Binance plans to reopen after what’s believed to be the largest-ever $6.3 billion hackThe Epoch TimesThe Epoch TimesThe Epoch Times, Oct 30, 6:00 AM ET: Binance Says $6.3 billion in Crypto Assets Impacted After Security Incident📺 TVBBC News, 10:30 PM ET: Binance freezes $4.0B in assets over suspected hackBBC News, 10:31 PM ET: Binance freezes $4.0B in assets over suspected hackBBC News, 10:31 PM ET: Binance freezes $4.0B in assets over suspected hackBBC News, 10:32 PM ET: DISCO11 Slides all reports on major Binance hackBBC News, 10:32 PM ET: DISCO11 Slides all reports on major Binance hackBBC News, 10:32 PM ET: DISCO11 Slides all reports on major Binance hackBBC News, 11:30 PM ET: Binance: $2.5 billion estimated impact of suspected hackBBC News, 11:31 PM ET: Binance freezes $2.5 billion in assets over suspected hackBBC News, 11:31 PM ET: Binance: $2.5 billion estimated impact of suspected hackBBC News, 11:31 PM ET: Binance: $2.5 billion estimated impact of suspected hackBBC News, 11:32 PM ET: Binance freezes $2.5 billion in assets over suspected hackBBC News, 11:32 PM ET: Binance freezes $2.5 billion in assets over suspected hackCNN, 12:13 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 12:14 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 12:14 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 12:16 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 12:16 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:15 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:15 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:16 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:16 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:17 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHCNN, 1:18 AM ET: BINANCE FREEZES BILLIONS AFTER $6.38 SECURITY BREACHBBC News, 1:33 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 2:19 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 2:20 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 2:21 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 2:39 AM ET: Binance 'security incident' affects $6.3bn of assetsBBC News, 3:06 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 3:07 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 3:07 AM ET: Hack could be biggest ever crypto currency heistBBC News, 3:08 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 3:08 AM ET: Hack could be biggest ever crypto currency heistBBC News, 4:00 AM ET: Binance security concernsBBC News, 4:05 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 4:06 AM ET: Hack could be biggest ever crypto currency heistBBC News, 4:06 AM ET: Crypto worth billions frozen after suspected hackBBC News, 4:07 AM ET: Hack could be biggest ever crypto currency heist📻 radioNPR News Now, Oct 30, 4:09 AM ET: story 4 of 6NPR News Now, Oct 30, 2:10 AM ET: story 6 of 7🧶 online🧶found retold online (the day's report)
Who carried it and when: each outlet in the order it picked the story up, a bar for each headline from when we first saw it on the front page to when we last did, in the outlet's lean color (dashed: not rated); a dot marks a new headline, and a headline swapped for a new one between our hourly looks runs on to it. A gap means a look found the story gone from that front page. Beneath, its captions on TV, the radio newscasts that carried it (bigger: the lead) and when people were found retelling it. Hover for details.

📡 Wire copy

1 outlet ran the AP, Reuters headline nearly word for word

HuffPost

💬 Quoted

  1. “Security Incident”2
  2. “Elite North Korean group”1
  3. “potential security issue,”1
  4. “Elite North Korean hackers”1
  5. “security incident”1
  6. “largest hack in history”1
  7. “Potential Security Issue,”2
  8. “potential security issue”2

phrases its headlines put in quotation marks; the bar is how many outlets did

📌 Linked by aggregators

2 Drudge Report · Google News

aggregators linking to it from their front page (they don't count as outlets covering it)

✏️ 11 outlets ran more than one headline on it (reworded, or a follow-up)
  • AP (3 wordings): “Binance reports ‘potential security issue’ as stablecoin issuers freeze millions in funds” → “Binance flags ‘potential security issue,’ says approximately $6.3 billion impacted”
  • Axios (2 wordings): “Binance probes what may be biggest-ever crypto hack” → “Binance halts trading after biggest-ever crypto hack”
  • BBC (7 wordings): “Crypto giant Binance freezes $2.5bn of assets over suspected hack” → “What we know about Binance's $6.3bn hack”
  • Business Insider (2 wordings): “Binance and Polymarket are investigating potential hacks. The former says it's frozen around $3 billion.” → “Binance and Polymarket are investigating potential hacks. The former says $6.3 billion is affected.”
  • CNBC (4 wordings): “Binance 'potential security issue' sees $2.54 billion frozen” → “Bitcoin tumbles as Binance hack rattles crypto markets”
  • Financial Times (2 wordings): “Binance halts withdrawals after $6.3bn hack” → “Binance halts withdrawals after record $6.3bn heist”
  • HuffPost (3 wordings): “Binance Flags ‘Potential Security Issue,’ Says Crypto Firms Froze More Than $2.5 Billion” → “Blockchain Intelligence Firms Link North Korea To $6.3B Hack On Binance”
  • Reuters (5 wordings): “Tether, Circle freeze $2.38 billion after Binance reports security incident” → “Blockchain analysis firm TRM says North Korea behind Binance crypto theft - Reuters”
  • The Guardian (5 wordings): “Crypto firms freeze more than $2.5bn in funds as Binance investigates potential hack” → “‘Elite North Korean group’ blamed for $6.3bn Binance hack in biggest ever crypto heist”
  • The Washington Post (2 wordings): “Crypto firms freeze $3 billion as fears of a massive hack spread” → “Binance freezes billions in cryptocurrency after massive hack”
  • Yahoo News (2 wordings): “After what may be the biggest-ever crypto heist, Binance freezes $3 billion in assets” → “Hackers steal record $6.3 billion from Binance in just 20 minutes”
Every outlet's first headline (21), left to right by AllSides rating

📡 Broadcast

TV, radio, and the shows that talked about it

📺 On TV

minutes its captions were on screen, by channel; the disc is the network's lean

  1. ⚖️ BBC News 14 min
  2. 🫏 CNN 7 min

📻 On the radio

hourly newscasts that carried it, by show; beside the count, how often it was the lead story, or the highest it came in the running order

  1. 🫏 NPR News Now 2× · best #4

🎙️ On the shows

podcasts, newsletters and streams that talked about it, by show; the bar is episodes; the disc is the show's lean by reputation

  1. ⚖️ Bloomberg News Now 1

🕵️ Investigated, joked about

🕵️ investigative reporting on it and 🃏 satire joking about it (jokes, never counted as coverage); the bar is pieces

  1. 🃏 NewsThump 1

🧶 Retelling

what people online made of it

🧶 Retold online

  • Crypto users deserve to have their money stolen because they are antisocial or don't care about anyone else. Oct 30: told by 11 people (same issue)

On Folklore: the latest in full, with their motifs and who is telling them.

🗣️ Names in it

Binance

🔎 Checking

what the fact-checkers looked into

🧐 No fact-checker has taken it on yet.

🧵 Persistence

the running story it belongs to

🌱 A story of its own so far: no saga yet.