$55 Million DAI Theft Caused by One Wrong Click; Coinbase Held the Funds

Thursday, May 07, 2026  Read time1 min

Saad News: An anonymous cryptocurrency investor known by the alias “D.B.” has filed a lawsuit against the Coinbase exchange in federal court.

$55 Million DAI Theft Caused by One Wrong Click; Coinbase Held the Funds

According to SAEDNEWS, the lawsuit concerns the theft of $55 million worth of the DAI stablecoin in August 2024, which occurred through a large-scale phishing attack. The plaintiff claims that Coinbase froze part of the traced assets but has refused to return them without an official court order.

According to court documents, the massive theft occurred when the victim entered a fake webpage and unintentionally granted wallet access to the attackers. Using the phishing tool “Inferno Drainer,” the hackers withdrew $55.47 million worth of DAI from his wallet. Following the incident, the blockchain security company Zero Shadow succeeded in tracing part of the funds to a retail account on the Coinbase exchange.

The plaintiff’s lawyers stated that although Coinbase’s initial action in freezing the suspicious account was appropriate, the exchange’s insistence on requiring a court order despite the submission of affidavits and proof of ownership is unfair.