Astra Nova, an AI-driven crypto project from Saudi Arabia, has reported a major security incident involving its newly launched RVV token.
The project confirmed on Sunday that one of its third-party market maker accounts was infiltrated by an unknown attacker. The compromised account was used to sell off nearly 8.6% of the RVV token’s total supply on the open market.
According to blockchain researcher EmberCN, around 860 million RVV tokens changed hands for an estimated 10.288 million USDT. From these funds, the attacker sent 8.226 million USDT to the Gate and KuCoin exchanges, while around 2.041 million USDT remains in a wallet labeled 0x643.
Astra Nova addressed the situation through its official X (Twitter) account, confirming that only a market maker’s wallet, not the project’s core smart contracts, had been compromised.
Moreover, the team stated it is working with on-chain forensics experts to track the attacker. Once sufficient evidence is collected, it will engage law enforcement.
To mitigate the fallout, Astra Nova rolled out a token repurchase program and proposed a 10% compensation for the recovery of the stolen tokens.
“We remain fully committed to protecting holders and restoring stability in the RVV ecosystem,” the project wrote in a statement.
During a subsequent X Space session, a project representative confirmed that Astra Nova had cut ties with the compromised market maker. The spokesperson emphasized that the project’s roadmap and development goals remain unchanged.
EmberCN, the blockchain researcher who first traced the suspicious transactions, expressed skepticism over the attacker’s strategy. Specifically, the analyst noted that converting stolen tokens into Tether (USDT) and transferring them directly to centralized exchanges (CEXs) was unusual behavior.
“Which hacker would move stolen assets into USDT, knowing it can be frozen, and then send them to exchanges?” EmberCN wrote, questioning whether the breach was as straightforward as it appeared.
Astra Nova describes itself as the first AI entertainment ecosystem based in Saudi Arabia. The platform integrates artificial intelligence and blockchain to power entertainment projects using low- and no-code development tools.
The startup recently completed a $48.3 million fundraising round, building on earlier investments led by Outlier Ventures and several institutional and family office investors from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain.
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