In a surprising development, a hacker returned approximately $19.3 million that had been drained from a U.S. government-controlled crypto wallet following an apparent attack. The incident occurred on October 24, when funds were moved from a wallet linked to assets seized in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. Initial transfers were flagged by blockchain analysts, suggesting a theft as the funds flowed through several exchanges, including Binance. The hacker returned most of the stolen assets shortly after the breach, with on-chain data indicating the wallet was replenished with Ethereum and the stablecoin USDC. Despite the return of the majority of the funds, over $1.2 million remained unaccounted for. The sequence of transactions raised eyebrows, particularly as they involved engaging with decentralized finance protocols, prompting concerns over potential future risks.

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