Crypto Heist: Hackers Return $260M Stolen From Poly Network Cyberattack After Victim Requested It

Cryptocurrency heist hackers decided to return $260 million of the $610 million stolen during the largest cyber heist in history. It comes after Poly Network requested it from the attackers.

On Aug. 10, crypto hackers stole a whopping worth of various digital assets from the Poly Network platform, allowing users to exchange coins even if it involves different blockchains.

Poly Network announced the monumental hack on their Twitter account, saying that it tried to communicate with the criminal minds and requested them to return the stolen assets. The statement further acknowledged that the incident is "the biggest one in the DeFi history."

It is worth noting the Poly Network politely addressed the attackers by beginning the letter with "Dear Hacker."

Crypto Heist Hackers Return $260M Stolen from Poly Network

After the crypto heist, Poly Network provided their Ethereum address, Binance Smart Chain address, and Polygon address so that the hackers could return what they have stolen.

As per another tweet by Poly Network, as of Aug. 11, the hackers have already returned a slice of the pie of the $620 million or $260 million, to be exact.

The DeFi operator further said that the hackers already returned a total of $3.3 million of Ethereum, $1 million in Polygon, and $256 million in Binance Smart Chain.

However, there is still a huge bulk of the stolen amount that needs to be returned, accounting for a total of $84 in Polygon and $269 in Ethereum.

According to BlockchainNews, other blockchain protocols and cryptocurrency exchanges experience hacking incidents similar to the Poly Network heist. However, this marks the biggest breach in the decentralized financial platform. Thus, some scrutinize the security of DeFi platforms.

Why Did the Crypto Heist Hackers Return the Stolen Assets from Poly Network

It is unusual for criminal minds to voluntarily return what they have stolen after the victim requested it. But that is clearly the case in this incident.

To better understand, someone claiming to be part of the monumental hacking incident revealed that aside from doing it for their enjoyment, it is also meant to "expose the vulnerability" of the platform. However, there is a possibility that the anonymous tipster is not the actual perpetrator. So, take this statement with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, the chief scientist of blockchain analytics firm, Elliptic, Tom Robinson, also shared his take on why the attackers changed their minds via CNBC.

He said that laundering and cashing out stolen crypto assets is "extremely difficult, due to the transparency of the blockchain and the use of blockchain analytics."

That said, Robinson further suggested that the attackers might have realized that the best route is to give it back to the victim.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris