On September 24, 2023, Huobi Global, a major cryptocurrency exchange, fell victim to a hack. The attackers made off with a staggering $7.9 million worth of digital currencies.

Strangely enough, what ensued after the hack saw the exchange send a message to the hacker in Chinese. In that message, they not only claimed to have identified him but also offered him a deal: give back 95% of the stolen funds and get rewarded with 5%.

Huobi sent a message to the attacker in Chinese, stating, “We have confirmed your true identity. Please return funds to 0x18709E89BD403F470088aBDAcEbE86CC60dda12e. We will provide you with a 5% white hat bonus. This offer is valid for 7 days and ends on October 2, 2023. If you do not return the funds by the deadline, we will request judicial intervention.”

Immediately after taking the cryptocurrency he stole from Huobi’s control into his own possession, the hacker shifted it to an unknown address. And quite astonishingly enough, this message of the exchange was just one day older than when they found out about the hack attack.

Huobi’s response to the crypto hack, offering the hacker a deal, raises questions about cybersecurity and the ethics of negotiation.

Also Read: Huobi Token Tanks 90%, Justin Sun Affirms Funds are ‘Safe’