A hacker has returned $5 million worth of stolen ZK tokens after accepting a 10% bounty, bringing closure to the situation.
Nearly $5 million worth of stolen ZK tokens were returned after the hacker accepted a 10% bounty.
A hacker is an individual who uses their technical expertise to bypass security systems, access restricted data, or disrupt computer networks.
They often operate outside the law, exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware to achieve their goals.
The term 'hacker' originated in the 1960s among MIT students, initially referring to skilled programmers and engineers.
Today, hackers are a significant concern for governments, corporations, and individuals, with many countries investing heavily in cybersecurity measures to counter their activities.
The layer-2 blockchain protocol saw a hacker compromise its admin wallet, leading to the theft of unclaimed tokens from the ZKsync airdrop. The incident occurred last week, and the hacker’s actions have brought closure to the situation.
Token Recovery
In a post on X, the project said the hacker cooperated with the team and returned the funds within the “safe harbor” deadline — a grace period commonly offered in security incidents to incentivize returns without legal consequence. The cooperation means the hacker took a 10% bounty.
The Fate of the Recovered Tokens
The tokens are now in custody of the ZKsync Security Council, and a governance process will determine what to do with them. A final investigation report is being prepared and will be published when complete.
Security Measures
The cooperation from the hacker has been seen as a positive step towards mitigating potential damage from such incidents. The incident highlights the importance of security measures in place for blockchain protocols like ZKsync.
