A hacker who stole $600 million U.S. worth of cryptocurrency earlier this week has now returned most of the stolen assets.
Cryptocurrency exchange Poly Network has confirmed that the hacker has returned $342 million U.S. worth of tokens relating to three cryptocurrencies. The hacker behind the theft claims that Poly Network offered to pay $500,000 if they returned the stolen assets, as well as a promise of immunity from prosecution.
Poly Network says that most of the remaining assets in the hacker's possession have now been transferred to a digital wallet controlled by both the hacker and the company. But some of the money is still outstanding.
The theft occurred on August 10 when blockchain site Poly Network said hackers exploited a vulnerability in its system and taken thousands of digital tokens such as Ethereum.
The anonymous hacker claimed he or she carried out the heist for fun and to encourage Poly Networks to improve its security. Poly Network said on Twitter it is still waiting for the repayment process to be completed, but that it is working with the hacker, whom the firm has named “Mr. White Hat.”
White hat hackers are ethical security researchers who use their skills to help organizations find security flaws.
