Hacker Accepts 10% Reward and ZKsync Reclaims $5M in Stolen Tokens

• The attacker voluntarily returned $5 million worth of ZKsync tokens after accepting a 10% bounty, equivalent to approximately $566,000.
• ZKsync confirmed that the funds were placed under the custody of the Security Council and that user assets were never at risk.
• This outcome strengthens confidence in proactive security and governance mechanisms within the crypto ecosystem.

In a development that highlights the principles of cooperation and transparency within the Web3 space, the Layer 2 protocol ZKsync has successfully recovered over $5 million in tokens following a hack that took place on April 15. The incident involved the compromise of an administrative account linked to unclaimed tokens from the project’s airdrop. What’s notable is that instead of initiating legal proceedings, the team offered the attacker a 10% bounty if the remaining funds were returned within 72 hours.

The hacker accepted the deal, avoiding a potential crisis for the community. This peaceful resolution also bypasses the costs and delays of a legal process, showing that decentralized environments can be efficient even in the face of complex threats. Furthermore, it reinforces the need to build protocols with increasingly sophisticated defense mechanisms that prioritize user security.

SMART COOPERATION AND DECENTRALIZED SECURITY

This incident represents a win not only for ZKsync but for the entire crypto ecosystem, demonstrating how an incentive-based and community-led governance approach can resolve critical issues without the need for immediate judicial involvement. The ZKsync Security Council, a decentralized entity, now holds the recovered funds and will determine their future through open governance processes. This “safe harbor” strategy has previously been used in similar cases, such as those involving Euler Finance and Curve, solidifying its value as a tool for asset recovery and reputation preservation within blockchain projects.

PROJECT GROWTH AND ONGOING CHALLENGES

ZKsync, develope by Matter Labs, has gained recognition as one of the most efficient scalability solutions for Ethereum. With a recent airdrop distributing part of its total 21 billion token supply, it has also faced phishing attempts and scams impersonating the project, as reported by the security platform Blockaid.

Despite the setback, the team managed to keep user funds secure and reaffirmed its commitment to community protection. This demonstrates the resilience of the protocol in adapting to challenges in the rapidly evolving crypto space.

The price of the ZK token dropped slightly by 3.5% in the past 24 hours, trading around $0.054 according to CoinMarketCap data, although trust in the protocol remains strong due to its swift and effective response.