Bithumb Mistakenly Airdrops 2,000 BTC Instead of 2,000 KRW, Recovers Most Amid Regulatory Inspection

Bithumb Mistakenly Airdrops 2,000 BTC Instead of 2,000 KRW, Recovers Most Amid Regulatory Inspection

The South Korean exchange retrieved nearly all of the erroneously sent BTC and compensated users, prompting a regulator-led on-site inspection.

BTC

Fact Check
The evidence overwhelmingly supports the statement's truthfulness. A wide array of sources, including a high-authority South Korean business newspaper, multiple cryptocurrency news outlets, and on-chain analytics accounts, consistently report the same core event. Specifically, at least eight of the provided sources directly state that Bithumb made an error during a promotional or airdrop event, resulting in the mistaken distribution of approximately 2,000 BTC.The highest-authority source, a major Korean newspaper, confirms a significant 'error in event compensation' at Bithumb that caused market disruption, lending strong credibility to the more specific claims from other outlets. Multiple sources add plausible details, such as the error being a 'fat finger' mistake where 2,000 BTC was sent instead of the intended 2,000 Korean Won (KRW). The reports are also consistent in describing the consequence: a sharp, temporary price drop of Bitcoin on the Bithumb exchange as recipients immediately sold the mistakenly received assets.There is no contradictory evidence among the relevant sources. One high-authority source discusses a different regulatory probe into Bithumb but is correctly identified as having low relevance to this specific claim. The consistency, volume, and credibility of the supporting sources provide a high degree of confidence that the event, as described in the statement, did occur.
Summary

On February 8, Bithumb disclosed compensating affected users after mistakenly airdropping 2,000 BTC instead of 2,000 KRW. The exchange recovered 99.7% of the BTC and covered the remaining 1,788 BTC using its own assets, ensuring all customer funds remained safe. Following the incident, South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service initiated an on-site inspection of the exchange.

Terms & Concepts
  • Bitcoin (BTC): A decentralized digital currency that operates on a peer-to-peer network and serves as the native asset of the Bitcoin blockchain.
  • Airdrop: A distribution method where cryptocurrency is sent to users’ wallets, often for promotional or reward purposes, without a direct purchase.
  • Crypto Exchange: An online platform that enables users to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies and manage digital asset balances.