Billion-Dollar Whale Wallets Locked Out

Several large whale wallets, holding cryptocurrency tokens valued at over $1 billion, have been locked and are inaccessible.

Azcnews (1)

The latest data from Arkham Intelligence reveals that several major owners in the cryptocurrency world have lost access to digital assets valued at approximately $1.24 billion. In total, these cryptocurrency whales possess up to $3.5 billion, including TRON founder Justin Sun who holds $1.1 billion and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who is also on the list. However, not all are able to access their funds smoothly.

Specifically, Rain Lõhmus, founder of LHV Bank, and Stefan Thomas, former CTO of Ripple, are facing difficulties accessing their cryptocurrency wallets, which together are valued at $1.24 billion. In the realm of cryptocurrency, this means they are unable to recover those funds.

Lõhmus, who is believed to have lost his private key, is losing access to about $793 million. He had accumulated 250,000 ETH from an initial coin offering in 2014 and is currently seeking assistance from experts to recover his assets, even offering to share a portion with those who help him retrieve it.

Related: Hong Kong Officially Approves Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs

As for Thomas, after receiving 7,002 BTC in 2011 as part of a payment for a project creating educational content on cryptocurrency, he lost access to these funds due to forgetting the password to his IronKey hard drive, where the private key was stored. Although there was a proposal from a security company to break into this hard drive, Thomas declined and instead opted to work with a cybersecurity company and an independent researcher, yet the issue remains unresolved.

These incidents not only cause significant financial losses but also raise concerns about the security and safety of storing digital assets.

(2 votes)

3.0/5

(2 votes)

Latest

Bnb Plunges After Being Added To Coinbase’s Listing Roadmap

News | Altcoin | Editor Choice

BNB Plunges After Being Added to Coinbase’s Listing Roadmap

BNB’s price has tumbled sharply in recent days, despite the positive news that the token is set to be listed on Coinbase.

Hyperliquid Leads The $1.4 Billion Token Buyback Wave Sweeping Through Crypto In 2025

News | Altcoin | Editor Choice

Hyperliquid Leads the $1.4 Billion Token Buyback Wave Sweeping Through Crypto in 2025

The year 2025 is witnessing the largest token buyback wave in crypto history, as blockchain projects have spent over $1.4 billion to reduce circulating supply — and Hyperliquid is leading the charge with an unprecedented scale.

Binance Selling Pressure Weighs On Bitcoin

News | Bitcoin | Editor Choice

Binance Selling Pressure Weighs on Bitcoin, But ‘Uptober’ Could Soon Turn the Tide

Despite the ongoing selling pressure, analysts at CryptoQuant believe this is only a short-term correction before Bitcoin’s typical late-October rebound — the so-called “Uptober” — begins.

Binance Completes Gopax Acquisition, Paving The Way For A South Korean Comeback

News | Editor Choice | Policy & Regulations

Binance Completes Gopax Acquisition, Paving the Way for a South Korean Comeback

According to a report from South Korean outlet MK, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance has officially completed its acquisition of Gopax, one of the five licensed digital asset exchanges in South Korea.

Why Hyperliquid Is Becoming Unstoppable

News | Altcoin | Editor Choice

After the Crash and Scandal: Why Hyperliquid Is Becoming Unstoppable

Amid record-breaking liquidations and a listing scandal that rocked Binance, Hyperliquid has risen as DeFi’s “fortress of steel” — a living testament to the true power of transparency and decentralization.

Screenshot 2025 09 10 100533