TLDR
- CrediX recovers $4.5M from a hack after reaching a deal with the exploiter.
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Stolen assets will be refunded to affected users within 48 hours.
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CrediX made a private settlement with the attacker to recover funds.
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Crypto hacks in 2025 have led to increasing settlement deals with attackers.
In a recent update, CrediX, a money market abstraction protocol, reported the successful recovery of $4.5 million in stolen cryptocurrency. The funds were stolen in a security breach on Monday and were later bridged to the Ethereum network by the exploiter using a Tornado Cash-funded wallet. Despite the breach, CrediX managed to negotiate the return of the stolen assets after reaching a private settlement with the attacker.
The negotiation process led to the exploiter agreeing to return the stolen assets in exchange for an undisclosed payment from the CrediX treasury. The company assured users that the recovered funds would be refunded within 48 hours. This marks a rare instance of an exploit being resolved through negotiation rather than through traditional recovery methods, such as legal actions or blockchain analysis.
CrediX’s Private Settlement with Exploiter
According to blockchain security firm Cyvers, the exploit resulted in over $4.5 million worth of digital assets being stolen.
In an unexpected turn of events, CrediX’s team managed to strike a deal with the exploiter. The attacker, in return for a payment from CrediX, agreed to return the funds. This settlement was made public via a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the CrediX team.
“Reached successful parley with the exploiter who agreed to return the funds within the next 24-48 hours in return for money fully paid by the CrediX treasury,” the post stated.
The protocol also mentioned that they would airdrop the recovered funds to all affected user wallets within 48 hours. This quick response offers reassurance to users who had their funds compromised during the breach like the WOO X hack back in July.
Rising Trend of Negotiated Settlements
The event highlights a growing trend within the crypto community where hackers, after exploiting vulnerabilities, are choosing to return stolen funds in exchange for negotiated settlements or bounties. This pattern is not new.
On July 11, an attacker returned $40 million from the GMX exploit after receiving a $5 million white hat bounty from the affected team.
This approach contrasts with the more traditional method of pursuing legal action or tracking down the hackers through blockchain analysis. While this method is still used, negotiations with exploiters have been seen as a practical solution in some cases, as they allow for a quicker resolution and the return of stolen funds.
Impact of Crypto Exploits in 2025
The rise of negotiated settlements reflects a broader issue facing the crypto industry. Cryptocurrency hacks have surged in 2025, with over $2.47 billion lost in exploits, scams, and hacks during the first half of the year, according to CertiK’s report. While the second quarter of 2025 saw a 52% decrease in incidents from the first quarter, the damage caused by these attacks remains significant. Furthermore, reports suggest that nearly 80% of cryptocurrencies do not recover in value after a hack.
Despite the increasing number of attacks, the fact that more hackers are agreeing to return funds highlights the evolving dynamics in the world of cryptocurrency security. This could be a sign that some attackers are weighing the consequences of their actions, considering factors such as the growing pressure from on-chain investigators.
The return of funds by hackers is seen as a potential step towards reducing the damage caused by exploits. However, as the cryptocurrency market continues to grow, the industry must remain vigilant in improving security measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the first place.
