
newsAug 13, 202138:38pending
Unconfirmed: Why Did the Poly Network Attacker Return Half the Money They Stole? - Ep.263
About this episode
Poly Network, a cross-chain DeFi protocol, recently suffered a $600M hack -- the largest DeFi exploit in crypto history. Mudit Gupta, security researcher and SushiSwap dev, breaks down the attack, explaining how it occurred, why the hacker is returning the funds, and what Poly Network should do next. Show highlights:
how Poly Network works
what specific mechanism the hacker attacked on Poly Network
why many people (including myself) had never heard of Poly Network before the hack
how “keepers” failed to protect Poly Network
why a failed transaction was the key to pulling off the hack
what SlowMist claims to have discovered about the hacker
what could be motivating the hacker to return the stolen funds
how the hacker is communicating with Poly Network
why Tether was able to freeze funds while USDC and BSC allowed the hacker to get away with their tokens
how Poly Network should handle negotiations with the hacker
Thank you to our sponsors!
Sorare: https://sorare.com
Polymarket: https://polymarket.co/unconfirmed
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unchainedcardearnfeb2021
Episode Links
Mudit Gupta
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mudit__Gupta
Blog: https://mudit.blog/
SushiSwap: https://twitter.com/SushiSwap
Poly Network hack
Poly Network response: https://twitter.com/PolyNetwork2/status/1425870262067548163
Mudit’s analysis: https://mudit.blog/poly-network-largest-crypto-hack/
Kelvin Fichter thread: https://twitter.com/kelvinfichter/status/1425217046636371969
Hacker Q&A: https://twitter.com/tomrobin/status/1425487745166753794
Tether blacklist: https://twitter.com/paoloardoino/status/1425090760609832978
ETH tip: https://twitter.com/HsakaTrades/status/1425093301691195407
The Block’s coverage: https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/114189/poly-hack-attacker-return-funds-id-slowmist
Returning funds: https://www.coindesk.com/poly-network-hacker-starts-to-return-funds
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get every episode summarized
Each time Unchained publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Unchained

Bits + Bips: Bitcoin Hits $75K as It Starts Catching Up to Gold
Unchained
Mar 18, 20261:02:11completed

Bits + Bips: Bitcoin Finally Acted Like a Hedge. Will It Last?
Unchained
Mar 16, 202648:40failed

Is the DeFi Mullet Strategy the Best Way to Bring Finance Onchain?
Unchained
Mar 13, 20261:13:13failed

Uneasy Money: How Hyperliquid Succeeded by Going Against Crypto's Ideology First...
Unchained
Mar 12, 202659:36failed