Hinkal exploiters contact victim wallet offering partial fund recovery in exchange for negotiation via encrypted Signal message.
Security & Exploits ·
Individuals claiming responsibility for the July 2-3 Hinkal incident have posted an on-chain message to a public wallet address, offering to negotiate the return of stolen funds in exchange for what they describe as a significant portion. The message directs the affected party to decrypt an encrypted Signal invitation using the wallet's private key, enabling direct contact through the messaging platform for what the actors frame as a private resolution discussion.
The approach relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECIES on secp256k1) to ensure only the rightful holder of the wallet can read the contact details. The encrypted payload and decryption instructions were embedded in a public blockchain message, making the overture visible to any observer while remaining accessible solely to the wallet owner. This method resembles prior extortion or negotiation tactics seen in other major protocol exploits, where attackers seek to establish private channels with victims.
What remains unclear is whether the wallet holder has responded, what proportion of funds the actors are offering to return, or the legitimacy of their claims to possess the stolen assets. The incident's resolution and the ultimate recovery rate, if any, remain unknown.