The most famous story related to $ETH is associated with the DAO hacker in 2016. The hacker stole 3.6 million ETH (about $50 million at that time) from the decentralized fund The DAO, using a vulnerability in the smart contract. This caused panic in the community, and the developers conducted a hard fork, creating Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC). The hacker tried to withdraw the funds, but they were frozen. In X, they discussed: "This is a test for the blockchain." By June 2025, those 3.6 million ETH would be worth $12.6 billion (at $3500), remaining the most notorious case. The story demonstrated the strength and vulnerability of Ethereum, making it a symbol of the evolution of cryptocurrencies and the collective problem-solving.