In a recent riveting turn of events, the perpetuator responsible for divesting nearly $62 million from the decentralized exchange, Curve Finance, appears to be responding positively to negotiations, according to blockchain data. Already, a substantial portion of the stolen cryptocurrency has been given back.
This audacious heist left the crypto world in a stupor over the weekend past, as Curve, in tandem with Metronome and Alchemix, fell temporarily prey to a coding bug. This glitch enabled the offender to meticulously exploit multiple trading pools, resulting in nearly $62 million worth of crypto assets vanishing virtually overnight.
However, a chain of blockchain transactions on Friday sheds light on a rather unexpected twist. The transgressor initiated contact with Alchemix, one of the victims, asking for the correct address to return the pilfered loot. Subsequently, 4,820 ether (ETH), which is equivalent to some $8.9 million, were transacted into Alchemix’s multisig wallet, as showcased by Etherscan, the blockchain data platform.
Meanwhile, CRV, Curve’s governance token, experienced a 5% surge during the day, quite likely in response to the news. While this is a step in the right direction, it adheres to a subplot that places the victims in a complex position—dangling hope for a recovery of most of their stolen crypto assets, in one of the most spectacular digital heists seen this year.
Threading this line of optimism, the targeted protocols took out an olive branch on Thursday, offering a captivating proposition—a 10% bounty to the perp for the return of the assets by August 6, as reported by CoinDesk.
While the return of stolen assets ignites a ray of hope for victims, it has certainly left some sceptics questioning whether this ‘cyber graceland’ might be a double-edged sword. This moment of mercy from the attacker not only highlights the fragile nature of the crypto space, but it also showcases that as much as technology advances, human failings of greed and error also evolve. Today’s blockchain security layers must be foolproof. Plea-bargaining with offenders should not become a norm setting an undesirable precedent, thus, the industry must wear its protective armour by proactively fortifying its systems. Yes, miracles do follow catastrophes, but let’s make sure to guard our world before the storm.
Source: Coindesk
