The cryptocurrency exchange Bybit announced a reward of $140 million for assistance in capturing the organizers of the largest cryptocurrency heist in history. It should be noted that unknown hackers managed to steal assets worth about $1.4 billion. This unprecedented event shook the crypto industry and prompted the exchange to take decisive steps to find the perpetrators.
In Bybit's official press release, the company calls on the "brightest minds in the field of cybersecurity and crypto analytics" to join forces in pursuing the criminals. The exchange offers a reward of 10% of the amount that can be recovered. Thus, if all stolen funds are recovered, the total reward could reach $140 million. This is a significant incentive for specialists willing to participate in the investigation.
It should be noted that the attack was carried out on a cold wallet with Ethereum (ETH), which was believed to be securely protected. According to representatives of the exchange, hackers used a complex attack scheme involving user interface manipulation. They altered the logic of the smart contract, allowing them to steal nearly $1.5 billion. After that, the stolen funds were distributed across numerous different wallets to cover their tracks.
Bybit representatives assured the public that the other wallets on the platform remain secure and are functioning normally. However, the incident has raised serious concerns among users of the cryptocurrency exchange and the entire community. The scale of the robbery and the complexity of the attack highlight the need for enhanced security measures in the crypto industry.
Bybit hopes that the announcement of the reward will attract the attention of experts from around the world who can help clarify what happened and recover at least some of the stolen funds. This will also serve as an important signal to other platforms about the need to enhance the security of their systems.
This case serves as a reminder of how important it is to exercise caution when dealing with cryptocurrencies and to trust your funds only to verified platforms. Crypto security is not just a technical task, but a matter of trust between users and services. The more attention is paid to such cases, the better it is for the entire industry.