On March 18, Euler Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, obtained a stunning reward from the hacker who had drained $197 million from the platform only a few days earlier. The attacker returned 3,000 ETH ($5.4 million) to Euler Finance’s deployer tackle, citing a change of coronary heart.
The assault on Euler Finance, which occurred on March 15, was one of many greatest DeFi hacks of 2023 thus far. The attacker was capable of drain $197 million by way of a number of transactions and later used a multichain bridge to switch the funds from the Binance Good Chain (BNB) to Ethereum. The stolen funds had been then moved into Twister Money, a crypto mixer that anonymizes transactions.
In response to the hack, Euler Finance introduced a $1 million reward to anybody who may assist observe down the hacker and retrieve the funds. The platform additionally demanded that the hacker return 90% of the funds inside 24 hours to keep away from attainable jail time.
It’s unclear why the hacker returned the funds, however it might have been as a result of strain from the $1 million bounty or the worry of getting caught. This isn’t the primary time a DeFi hacker has returned stolen funds. In July 2022, the attacker who stole $600 million from Poly Community returned the funds and even obtained a job provide from the corporate.
DeFi hacks have gotten extra widespread because the trade grows and attracts extra consideration from hackers. In response to CipherTrace’s 2023 DeFi Decentralized Alternate (DEX) Report, DeFi hacks have already surpassed $1 billion in 2023. To stop such assaults, DeFi platforms are investing in higher safety measures and insurance coverage insurance policies.
The return of the funds to Euler Finance could come as a reduction to the platform and its customers, nevertheless it additionally highlights the necessity for higher safety measures within the DeFi trade. Because the trade continues to develop and mature, it’s doubtless that we’ll see extra hacks and exploits, however hopefully, we may also see extra profitable recoveries and stronger safety measures.
