**News Flash: Blockchain Bandit Strikes Again**

The notorious hacker known as Blockchain Bandit has resurfaced, consolidating 51,000 Ether into a single wallet after nearly two years of inactivity. This move, reported by blockchain investigator ZachXBT, saw the funds transferred in batches of 5,000 Ether on Dec. 30.

The Bandit, infamous for exploiting weak private keys, amassed these funds through a method called "Ethercombing." This technique involves brute force searching for vulnerable keys, a feat considered statistically improbable.

In related news, crypto hacks surged in 2024, with $2.3 billion stolen, a 40% increase from 2023, largely due to access control breaches.