A hacker managed to steal around $20 million in assets from a government-controlled cryptocurrency wallet, largely in stablecoin $aUSDC and Ethereum (ETH). This wallet was linked to the notorious Bitfinex hack, one of the largest crypto heists, where over $4 billion in Bitcoin was stolen in 2016. The hacker's theft came to light when authorities detected unusual activity — likely due to an abnormally large or irregular series of transactions.
Following the theft, the hacker returned approximately 88% of the stolen funds, totaling around $19.3 million. The hacker may have returned the funds for a variety of reasons, including pressure from authorities, fear of tracking, or ethical concerns about their actions. This is a known pattern in the crypto world, where hackers sometimes partially or fully return stolen funds to avoid repercussions or public condemnation.
