Crypto Platform Offers Hacker 30% Bounty for Return of Stolen Funds
A cryptocurrency platform called AFX has made an unusual offer to a hacker who stole approximately $24 million in crypto. The company proposed a white-hat agreement, which would allow the attacker to keep 30% of the stolen funds if they return 70%. This offer was communicated publicly on AFX's official X account and directly to the wallet address believed to be controlled by the attacker through an on-chain message.
This approach is not new in the crypto industry, where several decentralized finance protocols and exchanges have used similar white-hat offers after exploits. However, the outcome is never guaranteed, as it depends entirely on the attacker's willingness to cooperate.
The incident highlights the persistent security challenges facing the crypto industry, where smart contract vulnerabilities and private key compromises continue to result in significant financial losses. AFX's decision to publicly negotiate with a hacker via a white-hat bounty is a high-stakes gamble that could either recover the majority of stolen funds or set a precedent for future negotiations.