Wallet hack

A wallet hack describes a situation in which someone gains unwanted access to a wallet and can move the balance. That can happen through stolen keys, deception or a flaw in software. Whether an unexpected movement really is a hack cannot be established with certainty from the transaction alone.

What it may indicate

A wallet that empties without permission can point to unwanted access, but equally to something else, such as a forgotten authorisation. Sometimes it is less clear cut than it looks. What actually happened only emerges from investigating the transactions and the access that preceded them.

A balance unexpectedly leaves a wallet without the owner instructing it. By looking at how the access took place and where the balance went, a picture forms. Full clarity only follows after investigation.

What is a wallet hack?

A situation in which someone gains unwanted access to a wallet and can move the balance, for example through stolen keys, deception or a software flaw.

Can you tell from a transaction whether it was a hack?

Not with certainty from the transaction alone. What happened only emerges from investigating both the movement and the access that preceded it.