The original Bitcoin website suffered a DDoS attack a few hours ago and the attackers are demanding 0.5 BTC as ransom.
The operator of the original Bitcoin website, Bitcoin.org, has revealed that the site was hit with a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack yesterday. The site operator describes it as an overwhelming attack.
According to the operator, Cobra, the attackers demanded a ransom of 0.5 BTC, which is just a little above $17,000 at Bitcoin’s current price. Cobra said, “It’s a very overwhelming attack, it’s a struggle to deal with, and I don’t know how long we’ll be down for.”
https://t.co/OsFgRFRRZb getting hit with an absolutely massive DDoS attack and a ransom demand to send Bitcoin or they'll continue.
I don't think I've been this offended in a while. Ungrateful scum.
— Cøbra (@CobraBitcoin) July 5, 2021
Cobra feels the DDoS attack was an insult to him. A DDoS attack is a coordinated attempt that overloads a website with unnecessary traffic, leading to the website’s downfall. The DDoS attacks are common within the crypto space, with wallet manufacturer Trezor suffering a similar attack last year. Crypto exchange Poloniex is another leading entity that suffered a DDoS attack.
Bitcoin.org is an educational resource website that has been around since August 2008. The site is designed to help people get involved with the leading cryptocurrency by providing them with the necessary information to get them started. Bitcoin.org provides information on where to buy BTC and explains the cryptocurrency’s use cases.
However, the website has faced challenges in recent months. Last month, Bitcoin.org lost a U.K lawsuit after the site operator opted against showing up and defending himself against charges of copyright infringement from Craig Wright.
According to Cobra, he wanted to preserve his pseudonymity, which was the reason why he didn’t appear in court. As a result, Craig Wright, who claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto, won the case by default and Bitcoin.org was ordered to remove the Bitcoin whitepaper from its website for U.K visitors.
