Mercado Bitcoin will reopen deposits and withdrawals in Brazilian reais through Pix next week, following a Nov. 2 hack that drained approximately $49 million from wallets linked to the exchange. The intrusion forced the suspension of all cash and crypto services, leaving customers without access to funds for over a week. Pix, Brazil's instant payment rail operated by the central bank, serves as the primary cash gateway for retail crypto flows in the country, making the reopening a critical step in the exchange's staged recovery process.
Mercado Bitcoin Reopens Pix Withdrawals in Reais Next Week
A company representative confirmed on Tuesday that Pix deposits and withdrawals will resume at some point next week. The reopening covers reais only, with customers permitted to withdraw solely to bank accounts registered in their own name. The exchange will credit customer balances with proceeds from the settlement of fixed income products, providing holders of those instruments a second route to access their cash. Cash withdrawals have been frozen since the Nov. 2 attack.
Crypto deposits, withdrawals, and trading remain suspended with no return date announced. The company framed the restart as a staged rollout. "The resumption will proceed gradually," the representative said, adding that new services will be announced to clients in advance through Mercado Bitcoin's official channels. No rollout schedule has appeared on the exchange's website.
Read-Only Account Access Restored One Week After Attack
On Monday, one week after the attack, the exchange restored account visibility in read-only mode. Balances can be viewed, but no transactions are permitted. The company has not stated when full functionality will return. Read-only access allows customers to verify their reais balances ahead of the Pix reopening next week.
Fabricio Tota, Mercado Bitcoin's vice president of new business, outlined the recovery sequence in a video, though no written schedule has been published on the website. Customers who log in are directed to a page describing security measures and audits the company says it has conducted since 2018, with a link to an account of the incident.
The Nov. 2 attack occurred four days after hackers took approximately $6.3 billion in crypto from Binance hot wallets in a separate incident attributed by the FBI to North Korean hackers. Binance stated it would cover losses with its emergency fund and corporate treasury. Mercado Bitcoin has made no public commitment regarding its $49 million shortfall and has not disclosed whether customer crypto assets were affected beyond the suspended services.
FAQ
What did Mercado Bitcoin announce on Tuesday regarding Pix withdrawals?
Mercado Bitcoin confirmed that deposits and withdrawals in Brazilian reais through Pix will reopen next week. Withdrawals are limited to bank accounts registered in the customer's own name.
When was read-only account access restored after the hack?
Read-only account access was restored on Monday, one week after the Nov. 2 attack. Customers can view balances but cannot execute transactions.
