The hacker or hacking group responsible for the extensive Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks has apparently cashed out approximately $270,000, or nearly £200,000, from their associated cryptocurrency scheme. This move comes just hours before Rockstar Games officially unveiled footage of the highly anticipated game on its own terms. The leaker, identified as Cyberleek, had been promoting a meme coin, which was featured in and on every leaked clip released over the preceding weeks.
Fans were able to use this meme coin to influence which parts of GTA 6 would be leaked next. The scheme, according to reports, revealed a wide range of content, from general gameplay elements to more significant spoiler-heavy moments. Crypto analyst Vice Cit noted that Cyberleek transferred the substantial sum into several wallets across four transactions on August 27th.
"This isn't the 2022 leak, this has been planned out and executed very intentionally to maximise the money they'll make from this," Vice Cit stated. The meme coin's market cap has reportedly dropped by about 75 percent since the first leak surfaced, falling from a peak of $23.39 million to $3.85 million. Vice Cit anticipates this figure will continue to decline as news of Cyberleek's cash-out spreads.
It is speculated that Cyberleek may have anticipated a decrease in demand for further leaks following Rockstar's official reveal of GTA 6. This led to the decision to liquidate their holdings while the cryptocurrency's value was still high. Vice Cit's analysis suggests the transactions were distributed across three separate wallets, indicating the potential involvement of at least two individuals in the operation. The initial setup for the entire project, including the CYBERLEEK token, website, and file uploads, was estimated to cost around $29,000. If the leaked profits end here, the individual or group behind the leaks would have profited approximately $241,000. However, Vice Cit believes the leaker likely expected a greater return and that the recent inclusion of watermarks in the clips may signal a degree of panic as interest waned and the coin's value dropped.