THORChain (@THORChain) co-founder Chad Barraford (@CBarraford) has said that THORNode operators hold no private information beyond what is already on public blockchains. His comments came aft
THORChain (@THORChain) co-founder Chad Barraford (@CBarraford) has said that THORNode operators hold no private information beyond what is already on public blockchains. His comments came after the FBI asked node operators and DeFi platforms, including THORSwap, to block transactions linked to the Binance (@binance) exploit.
Barraford wrote on X that operators have "zero information that isn't already public and readily available in real time," according to The Block. He added that no subpoenas are required, which he called a best-case scenario for investigations. The Block noted that his posts since the hack have not said whether node operators would block the listed addresses.
In an alert issued on Oct. 31, the FBI attributed the theft of more than $6 billion from Binance to North Korea, tracking the activity under the name TraderTraitor, according to Cryptonews. The alert was issued with the U.S. Secret Service and IRS Criminal Investigation. It urged THORNode operators, RPC node operators, instant exchanges, DeFi services and other crypto businesses to block transactions with or derived from the listed addresses.
TokenPost reported that the alert identified 608 Ethereum addresses, 19 Bitcoin addresses and one Solana address. The FBI said it expected the hackers to keep moving funds through DeFi and instant-exchange services.
Barraford's remarks addressed investigators' access to information rather than the blocking request itself, as TokenPost noted in its report on his response.
Barraford argues that hackers typically move funds through centralized platforms before converting them into US dollars. Exchanges hold identifying information and communication records that could help law enforcement, in his view. THORNode operators, by contrast, have access only to the same public ledger data that investigators can already see.
Separately, THORChain halted swaps across 10 networks on Saturday after an Ethereum block reorganization exposed a refund bug, according to Cointelegraph. Chainalysis said the pause may have inadvertently slowed the movement of funds stolen from Binance. CryptoSlate reported that the disruption was temporary and indiscriminate rather than a deliberate attempt to block stolen funds. The protocol has maintained that emergency network shutdowns are different from blacklisting individual addresses.
The episode adds to scrutiny of $RUNE and the THORChain network, a permissionless protocol whose operators have previously resisted selective transaction blocking.
The Block: North Korean hackers launder $242 million of Binance loot via Tron as FBI presses THORChainTokenPost: THORChain Co-Founder Says Node Data Is Public After FBI RequestCryptonews: FBI Attributes $6 Billion-Plus Binance Hack to North Korea
