**Crypto Firm's Massive Blunder: Accidentally Sending $44 Billion in Bitcoins to Users**

A staggering error has left a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange scrambling to recover from one of the largest mistakes in the history of the industry.

In a bizarre incident, Bithumb, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea, accidentally sent out an estimated $44 billion worth of bitcoins to its customers as part of a promotional event. The mistake occurred on Friday evening, when the exchange intended to distribute small cash rewards to each user, but instead awarded at least 2,000 bitcoins per person.

The error was discovered within 35 minutes of the distribution, and trading and withdrawals were immediately restricted for the affected customers. However, the damage had already been done, with bitcoin prices briefly plummeting by 17% on Bithumb's platform to around $81.1 million won.

But here's the remarkable part: despite the massive loss, Bithumb has managed to recover an astonishing 99.7% of the misplaced bitcoins, worth approximately $44 billion at current prices. This feat is a testament to the exchange's robust system security and customer asset management procedures.

"We would like to make it clear that this incident is unrelated to external hacking or security breaches," Bithumb stated in an apology message. "Our system security and customer asset management are intact, and there is no cause for concern."

According to reports, the affected customers had received at least 2,000 bitcoins each, a staggering amount considering the exchange's initial intention was to distribute small cash rewards of just 2,000 Korean won ($1.37) per user.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community, with many speculating about the potential consequences for Bithumb and its customers. While some have criticized the exchange for its mistake, others have praised its swift response in recovering most of the misplaced bitcoins.

Bithumb's competitors are likely to seize on this opportunity to capitalize on the exchange's misfortune. However, it remains to be seen whether the incident will ultimately affect Bithumb's reputation and market share in the competitive South Korean cryptocurrency space.