Binance hack: CZ warns that AI will accelerate attacks against the crypto sector, then against banks

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https://cryptoast.fr/cz-binance-piratages-crypto-ia-banques/

In a live interview with CoinDesk on November 3, 2026, Changpeng Zhao first spoke at length about the major hack suffered by Binance, the cryptocurrency exchange platform that he founded in 2017, then managed until November 2023. The theft of digital assets that occurred there on October 29, 2026 was estimated at around $6.3 billion.

The former manager, although he is no longer in operational command of the platform, says he was warned "at midnight, United Arab Emirates time", and immediately noted the extent of the shock. According to CZ, the reopening of withdrawals on Sunday, November 1, however, only caused around $3.6 billion in net outflows “in the first 12 hours” that followed, or barely 2% of the platform's assets (he feared more like 10 to 30%), and he also claims to have since observed a positive net flow.

On-chain data, however, nuance this picture a little. DefiLlama, cited by Cointelegraph, for its part measured $5.8 billion in net outflows over the first 24 hours after reopening of withdrawals. And according to figures from Richard Teng (co-CEO of Binance since the withdrawal of CZ at the end of 2023), $10.97 billion were withdrawn in 46 hours, with 5.28 billion net outflows (deducted from inflows). Teng confirms, however, that on the morning of November 3, deposits indeed exceeded withdrawals again.

INSIGHT: @cz_binance says the @Binance run on withdrawals never came.

Outflows hit about $3.6 billion, roughly 2% of holdings, versus the 10%-30% he had expected. pic.twitter.com/Uc2JN2TuUM

Changpeng Zhao also praised the rapid response of the ecosystem. Tether and Circle froze a portion of the stolen funds within minutes. A detail that has gone relatively unnoticed deserves to be highlighted, namely the direct involvement of the American Secret Service in the freezing of the stolen funds. CZ indeed indicates that the American secret services participated in the freezing processes carried out by the two major stablecoin issuers. An unprecedented public-private cooperation at this speed and scale in crypto.

👉 On the same subject – Binance hack: how the crypto ecosystem defended itself

Beyond the Binance case, CZ delivers a broader warning. For him, the industry is entering a “post-AI era” where hackers’ offensive capabilities are exploding, while defenders are still struggling to adapt. The former exchange boss points out the obvious: an attacker only needs one loophole, while a defender must plug them all.

Machine-translated from French