As our infographic based on data by news agency Bloomberg shows, this wasn't the first such heist.
In 2014, the crypto exchange Mt. Gox lost digital currency worth some 480 million dollars. The company based in Tokyo said it had probably been stolen and had to file for bankruptcy in the United States and Japan shortly after. It had been one of the leading bitcoin exchanges.
Coincheck for its part has assuaged its customers that any losses would be refunded.