The $1.5 billion Bybit hack has raised questions about whether Ethereum could roll back its network to recover stolen funds. But is it even possible? 🤔
🛠️ Ethereum Dev Tim Beiko: “A Rollback Isn’t an Option”
Ethereum developer Tim Beiko shut down the idea, explaining that reversing transactions like the 2016 TheDAO hack isn't feasible today and could jeopardize the network’s stability.
🔍 Why Is This Different from TheDAO?
🔹 TheDAO Hack (2016): A flaw in a smart contract froze funds, allowing time for a rollback.
🔹 Bybit Hack (2025): Attackers exploited Bybit’s multisig interface, transferring funds instantly—no freeze, no fix.
Beiko stressed that Ethereum’s evolution, with DeFi and cross-chain bridges, makes a rollback almost impossible.
📜 Bitcoin & Ethereum’s History with Rollbacks
Beiko referred to Bitcoin’s 2010 bug, where 184 billion BTC were minted by accident. Back then, Satoshi Nakamoto performed a rollback. In contrast, Ethereum’s 2016 fork to recover TheDAO funds led to Ethereum Classic (ETC), and since then, similar proposals have been rejected to maintain immutability.
💬 Bybit CEO Speaks Out
Ben Zhou, Bybit’s CEO, acknowledged the hack’s impact but highlighted that the stolen funds represent only 0.3%–0.4% of Ethereum’s supply—far less than TheDAO’s 30% in 2016.
💡 What’s Next? Bybit is consulting Vitalik Buterin for possible solutions, but a rollback? Highly unlikely.
👉 What do you think? Should Ethereum ever consider rolling back transactions? Drop your thoughts below! 💬👇