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DeFi platform zkLend has been hit with a major hack, resulting in the theft of nearly $10 million from its network. In response to the incident, zkLend is offering the hacker a 10% whitehat bounty, and is asking them to return around $8.6 million, or approximately 3,300 ETH.
In an on-chain message, zkLend addressed the attacker directly, stating that they may keep 10% of the stolen funds as a reward for their honesty, while returning the remaining 90% or $8.6 million, in exchange for releasing the rest to a specific Ethereum address.
The company emphasized its desire to avoid legal action by offering this deal, and instead would prefer to resolve the issue amicably. However, zkLend has also made it clear that if no agreement is reached with the hacker, they will involve on-chain sleuths and law enforcement agencies to track down the perpetrator and recover their stolen funds.
zkLend’s decision to offer a whitehat bounty highlights a growing trend in the cryptocurrency community, where hackers are often given an opportunity to return stolen assets without facing legal consequences. This approach has been successful for some DeFi platforms in the past, with several instances of hackers returning stolen funds after negotiations.
Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether zkLend’s offer will be accepted by the hacker. Some attackers have chosen to keep their ill-gotten gains despite being identified and taken to court, while others have returned stolen assets after successful negotiations.
The situation is a stark reminder that, in the world of cryptocurrency, even those who perpetrate fraud and theft may still receive a second chance at redemption – or at least, an opportunity to return stolen funds without facing legal repercussions.
Source: fullycrypto.com
