Attacker Steals $3.1 Million from BNB Chain Project GANA Payment

Global: Attacker Steals $3.1 Million from BNB Chain Project GANA Payment

An attacker stole approximately $3.1 million from the BNB Chain‑based GANA Payment project on November 20, 2025, according to the project’s public statements. The theft involved unauthorized transfer of assets from the project’s interaction contract, resulting in a significant loss for the platform and its users.

Laundering Through Tornado Cash

Shortly after the breach, the perpetrator moved roughly $1 million of the stolen funds through Tornado Cash, a privacy‑preserving mixer, as reported by blockchain analysts. The use of Tornado Cash suggests an attempt to obscure the origin of the assets and complicate traceability.

Contract Ownership Compromise

Investigators believe the attacker gained control of the GANA contract by acquiring the private key that authorized contract ownership, enabling them to reassign ownership to themselves. This method aligns with known attack vectors that exploit compromised private keys to manipulate smart contract governance.

Community Detection and Project Acknowledgment

The breach was first identified by independent researcher zachxbt, who posted details on Telegram. Within hours, GANA Payment confirmed the incident on its official Twitter account, stating that the interaction contract had been targeted by an external attack and that unauthorized asset theft had occurred.

Impact on the Platform and Users

Following the disclosure, the GANA Payment team paused further contract interactions while assessing the full scope of the loss. Users expressed concern over the security of their funds, and the incident prompted calls for enhanced key management practices across similar DeFi projects.

Broader Implications for DeFi Security

The incident underscores persistent vulnerabilities in decentralized finance ecosystems, particularly regarding private key protection and contract ownership controls. Security experts note that the event may prompt additional scrutiny of BNB Chain projects and encourage the adoption of multi‑signature wallets and formal audits to mitigate similar risks.

This report is based on information from Web3 Is Going Great, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0). Analysis provided by web3isgoinggreat.com.