One of Thailand’s biggest crypto exchanges is taking an unprecedented move to combat phishing attempts, blocking all crypto withdrawals from its website.
Thai Exchange Bitkub Moves to Mobile-Only Transactions to Curb Phishing
9 February 2026 - 10:17 CET
Bitkub is moving towards mobile-only withdrawals from 10 Feb, to curb the rise of hacking and other fraudulent communication scams in the country. The Thai exchange took the unusual step after a user reportedly lost 250,000 THB ($8,000) following a phishing attempt on one of his digital wallets.
Prone to hacking
While the removal of desktop withdrawals may stymie the rise of hacks, the crypto market remains prone to hacking and phishing.
Most attacks on consumers occur when users click on suspicious links and in cases of sim-swapping – where a hacker "copies" the sim of a user and proceeds to drain their wallets. Both these attack types can still happen on a mobile app.
Security policies
Besides the desktop ban, Bitkub is also stepping up its security measures and will fortify its infrastructure. The exchange said it's also introducing biometric shielding, a zero-trust policy on external links, mandatory two-factor authentication and domain verification.
