Mercado Bitcoin to resume cash withdrawals after $49M hack

What happened

Mercado Bitcoin plans to restart Brazilian real deposits and withdrawals through Pix next week, more than 15 days after an attack drained an estimated $49 million from wallets linked to the exchange. Withdrawals will be limited to accounts in customers’ own names; crypto transfers remain suspended without a return date.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Restoring Pix transfers gives customers a route to move local currency while crypto transfers remain frozen, potentially reducing the exchange’s withdrawal backlog. If customers cannot transfer or access funds, they may trade less or move activity elsewhere, weakening transaction revenue and trust.

Analyst inference

The exchange is reopening services in stages: customers first regained read-only account access, and Pix transfers are due next. It will also credit proceeds from fixed-income settlements, but has not published a rollout schedule; crypto deposits and withdrawals have no announced restart date.

Confirmed

What to watch

1. Check official client notices for the staged Pix restart and withdrawal rules, including confirmation that transfers are restricted to accounts held in each customer’s name. Confirmed
2. Watch for a published timetable restoring crypto deposits and withdrawals; the exchange has given no date, so customers still cannot move crypto through the platform. Confirmed
3. Track whether customers can use credited fixed-income settlement proceeds and complete local-currency transfers; successful access could help reduce withdrawal pressure and support continued use of the exchange. Analyst inference

Affected assets

• BTC — Bitcoin

Evidence

• cointelegraph.com