ZKSync Hacker Returns $5M in Stolen Tokens After Accepting 10% Bounty

In a stunning turn of events, the hacker responsible for compromising the admin wallet of ZKSync, a layer-2 blockchain protocol, has returned $5 million worth of stolen tokens. The thief had initially made off with unclaimed tokens from the ZKsync airdrop, but instead of keeping them all, they chose to cooperate with the ZKsync team and return the funds within the "safe harbor" deadline.

The safe harbor period is a common practice in security incidents, offering a grace period during which hackers are incentivized to return stolen assets without facing legal consequences. In this case, the hacker accepted a 10% bounty for their cooperation, demonstrating a level of maturity and integrity that is rare in the world of cybercrime.

ZKSync announced the resolution of the incident on X, stating that the hacker had returned the $5 million worth of tokens. The compromised admin wallet had led to the theft of unclaimed tokens from the ZKsync airdrop, causing significant losses for the project and its users.

With the funds now in custody of the ZKsync Security Council, a governance process will determine what to do with them next. A final investigation report is being prepared and will be published when complete, providing a detailed account of the incident and any lessons learned by the team.

About the Author

Francisco is a reporter for CoinDesk with a passion for cryptocurrencies and personal finance. Before joining CoinDesk, he worked at major financial and crypto publications. He owns bitcoin, ether, solana, and PAXG above CoinDesk's $1,000 disclosure threshold.