THORChain Refuses Block Request Amid Decentralization Debate

THORChain has rejected a request from Bitget to block addresses linked to its September 24 exploit, citing its permissionless architecture and comparing itself to Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen asked THORChain to refuse service to the identified addresses, stating that 'decentralization is a design principle, not a shield for facilitating known stolen funds.'

THORChain responded by questioning what responsibility those networks should bear when known stolen funds pass through them.

Star Xu, founder and CEO of OKX, challenged THORChain's comparison to Bitcoin and Ethereum, pointing out that its Threshold Signature Scheme and validator-controlled vault architecture give the selected validator set control over assets held inside the TSS vaults.

Xu argued that distributing an intermediary does not eliminate the intermediary, citing THORChain's ability to stop network activity during its May vault exploit as an example of this.