Blockstream Informs White-Hat Hacker of BTC Vulnerability Fix; 4,000 BTC to Be Returned

According to Mars Finance, Bitcoin News reports that Blockstream has notified white-hat hackers that the vulnerability has been patched and that the return of 4,000 BTC is now safe. Previously, the hacker who withdrew approximately 4,000 BTC from the Liquid network expressed willingness to return the funds but requested the vulnerability be fixed first. The entire negotiation was conducted publicly via Bitcoin OP_RETURN messages. The hacker initially proposed returning "most" of the BTC, but later revised their demand to require the vulnerability be patched first: "Please fix the vulnerability first. The latest submitted code puts the chain at risk. Ensure every node is patched, and then we will safely return the funds after confirming the fix." The hacker also sent encrypted details of the vulnerability to Blockstream. About two hours ago, Blockstream responded with a PGP-signed OP_RETURN message: "The cross-chain bridge nodes have been patched; funds can now be safely returned." Currently, 3,998.5 BTC remain under the hacker's control.