Balancer DAO issues public ultimatum to Balancer V1 exploit attacker: return stolen funds by September 15th for bounty immunity, or face legal prosecution and investigative action.
Security & Exploits ·
Balancer DAO has issued an on-chain ultimatum to the wallet believed responsible for a September 6th, 2026 exploit of Balancer V1, offering immunity from legal action and an unspecified bounty in exchange for return of stolen funds by September 15th, 21:00 UTC. The message, delivered via Blockscan Chat to the target wallet, frames the proposition as an opportunity for cooperation to make liquidity providers whole without escalation.
Should the attacker decline or miss the deadline, Balancer stated it will deploy technical, on-chain, and legal measures to identify and prosecute the wallet owner. The DAO indicated that any bounty would then be redirected to reward verified informants leading to successful prosecution. Coordination on the matter involves SEAL911, Hypernative, and Balancer's legal team, with initial contact required through the encrypted Blockscan messaging platform.
The offer remains conditional on returned funds meeting unstated criteria and does not extend immunity beyond facts related solely to the return itself. No details have emerged regarding the size of the exploit, whether any recovery attempts have begun, or the attacker's response to the ultimatum.