Coldcard Hack Victims Send ‘Return the Money’ Pleas to Hacker Wallet on Bitcoin Blockchain

Victims of the Coldcard hack, in which more than $100 million of Bitcoin was stolen, are sending messages to the hacker’s wallet pleading for the money to be returned.

CoinDesk reported on August 5 that Galaxy Research and other blockchain researchers had identified multiple messages sent to a Bitcoin wallet address believed to be controlled by the hacker. The wallet currently holds about $36 million of Bitcoin.

The messages were sent using Bitcoin’s OP_RETURN feature, which allows short text to be permanently recorded on the blockchain alongside a transaction. Anyone can leave a message by sending a small amount of Bitcoin.

On-chain data shows victims sent messages to the wallet including, “Please return at least some of the stolen money,” “Please return it,” and “Please return at least 80% of the 5 BTC.”

Some messages were unrelated to the theft. One user left a Telegram account and wrote that they could help launder Bitcoin. Another posted a message asking for funds for their own Bitcoin investment.

The Coldcard hack was first identified on July 30, and confirmed losses have now exceeded $100 million.

CoinDesk said operators of the LuBian mining pool also used the OP_RETURN feature to try to negotiate with hackers after a 2020 breach. This time, however, multiple victims and other users are leaving messages in the hacker’s wallet simultaneously.