Japan Hit by Another Cryptocurrency Heist, $60 Million Stolen

Japan Hit by Another Cryptocurrency Heist, $60 Million Stolen
Shadows of pedestrians are seen on a stock indicator board for the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2018. Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty Images
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TOKYO—Japanese cryptocurrency firm Tech Bureau Corp said about $60 million in digital currencies were stolen from its exchange, highlighting the industry’s vulnerability despite recent efforts by authorities to make it more secure.

Tech Bureau, which had already been slapped with two business improvement orders by regulators this year, said its Zaif exchange was hacked over a two-hour period on Sept. 14. It detected server problems on Sept. 17, confirmed the hack the following day, and notified authorities, the exchange said on Sept. 20.