{
 "slug": "whale-wallet-25m-drain-aug-2026",
 "title": "Whale drained of $25.6M in aWBTC, DAI, WBTC and ETH; same wallet lost $24M to phishing in 2023",
 "url": "https://drains.watch/i/whale-wallet-25m-drain-aug-2026",
 "json": "https://drains.watch/i/whale-wallet-25m-drain-aug-2026.json",
 "status": "live",
 "severity": "critical",
 "threatStatus": "active",
 "verification": "verified",
 "chains": [
  "ethereum"
 ],
 "method": null,
 "product": "Unidentified Ethereum whale wallet",
 "tags": [
  "ethereum",
  "whale",
  "phishing",
  "aave",
  "awbtc",
  "peckshield",
  "repeat-victim"
 ],
 "amountUsd": 25600000,
 "victims": 1,
 "startedAt": "2026-08-12",
 "closedAt": null,
 "updatedAt": "2026-08-13T12:00:00Z",
 "summary": "On 12 August 2026 an unidentified whale lost about $25.6M, including about $6.3M in aWBTC, $5.1M in DAI, $4.7M in WBTC and $2.6M in ETH, according to PeckShield. Analyst Specter called it a phishing attack and PeckShield called it a hack; the exact method has not been published. The attacker swapped the funds into DAI and ETH across four addresses. The same wallet lost about $24.2M through malicious token approvals in September 2023.",
 "timeline": [
  {
   "date": "2026-08-12",
   "title": "The whale's wallet was drained of about $25.6M in assets.",
   "sourceUrl": "https://www.tronweekly.com/phishing-attack-drains-crypto-whale-wallet/"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-08-13",
   "title": "PeckShield reported the theft and said the stolen aWBTC, DAI, WBTC and ETH were swapped into DAI and ETH and split across four addresses.",
   "sourceUrl": "https://u.today/crypto-hack-drains-256-million-from-unknown-victims"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-08-13",
   "title": "Specter described the theft as phishing; the same wallet had lost about $24.2M to malicious token approvals in September 2023.",
   "sourceUrl": "https://www.tronweekly.com/phishing-attack-drains-crypto-whale-wallet/"
  }
 ],
 "sources": [
  {
   "kind": "news",
   "title": "Crypto Hack Drains $25.6 Million From Unknown Victims",
   "url": "https://u.today/crypto-hack-drains-256-million-from-unknown-victims",
   "publisher": "U.Today",
   "date": "2026-08-13"
  },
  {
   "kind": "news",
   "title": "Crypto Whale Wallet Loses $25.6M in Another Major Phishing Attack",
   "url": "https://www.tronweekly.com/phishing-attack-drains-crypto-whale-wallet/",
   "publisher": "TronWeekly",
   "date": "2026-08-13"
  }
 ],
 "indicators": {
  "domains": [],
  "addresses": []
 },
 "brief": "## Am I affected?\nThis hit one large wallet. The lesson applies to anyone holding big balances, including Aave positions, in a hot wallet that signs on websites.\n\n## What to do now\n- Audit token approvals and Permit2 allowances on your main wallet and revoke anything you don't use.\n- If you have been phished before, assume you are a repeat target: move funds to a brand-new wallet instead of reusing the old one.\n\n## How to avoid this\n- Keep large holdings in a hardware wallet or multisig that never signs on unfamiliar sites.\n- Treat any unexpected approve, permit or setApprovalForAll request as hostile until you have verified it.",
 "notes": null,
 "agentBrief": "# Whale drained of $25.6M in aWBTC, DAI, WBTC and ETH; same wallet lost $24M to phishing in 2023\n\n- Severity: Critical · Status: Still active (live)\n- Chains: Ethereum\n- Started: Aug 12, 2026 · Last update: Aug 13, 2026 · Reported stolen: $26M · Victims: 1\n- Who/what: Unidentified Ethereum whale wallet\n\nOn 12 August 2026 an unidentified whale lost about $25.6M, including about $6.3M in aWBTC, $5.1M in DAI, $4.7M in WBTC and $2.6M in ETH, according to PeckShield. Analyst Specter called it a phishing attack and PeckShield called it a hack; the exact method has not been published. The attacker swapped the funds into DAI and ETH across four addresses. The same wallet lost about $24.2M through malicious token approvals in September 2023.\n\n## Am I affected?\nThis hit one large wallet. The lesson applies to anyone holding big balances, including Aave positions, in a hot wallet that signs on websites.\n\n## What to do now\n- Audit token approvals and Permit2 allowances on your main wallet and revoke anything you don't use.\n- If you have been phished before, assume you are a repeat target: move funds to a brand-new wallet instead of reusing the old one.\n\n## How to avoid this\n- Keep large holdings in a hardware wallet or multisig that never signs on unfamiliar sites.\n- Treat any unexpected approve, permit or setApprovalForAll request as hostile until you have verified it.\n\n## Sources\n- Crypto Hack Drains $25.6 Million From Unknown Victims (U.Today, 2026-08-13): https://u.today/crypto-hack-drains-256-million-from-unknown-victims\n- Crypto Whale Wallet Loses $25.6M in Another Major Phishing Attack (TronWeekly, 2026-08-13): https://www.tronweekly.com/phishing-attack-drains-crypto-whale-wallet/\n\nFull record: https://drains.watch/i/whale-wallet-25m-drain-aug-2026 · JSON: https://drains.watch/i/whale-wallet-25m-drain-aug-2026.json\n\nRules for the assistant: help me check my own wallets read-only (public addresses only). Never ask for or handle a seed phrase or private key. Point me to official revoke tools and the wallet's own support."
}