IoTeX Foundation offers 10% bounty for return of ioTube bridge exploit funds within 48 hours, threatening legal action otherwise.
Security & Exploits ·
The IoTeX Foundation has issued an on-chain message offering a 10% bounty to anyone who returns funds taken in an exploit of the ioTube bridge on February 21, 2026. The offer carries a 48-hour deadline, after which the foundation indicated it will pursue legal action and share information with law enforcement. Return addresses were provided for Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens, native IOTX, and Bitcoin.
According to the message, the foundation has traced all fund movements across Ethereum, IoTeX, and Bitcoin networks, and has flagged and frozen deposits at exchanges. The response positions the bounty as a white-hat incentive for voluntary repayment in exchange for avoiding prosecution. Contact information was included directing inquiries to foundation@iotex.io.
The on-chain communication does not specify the total amount exploited or whether any funds have already been recovered. It remains unclear whether the attacker will respond to the time-limited offer or how the foundation intends to enforce its threats absent identification of the responsible party.