Liquid Hackers Return Majority of Stolen Bitcoin, $50M Still Unrecovered

Hackers responsible for the recent $320 million breach of the Liquid Bitcoin sidechain have returned a significant portion of the stolen assets. According to data referenced by Decrypt, approximately $270 million in Bitcoin has been restored to the affected parties. The Liquid network, which is operated by Blockstream, came under attack when vulnerabilities were exploited in its bridge nodes. Blockstream reportedly communicated with the perpetrators using on-chain messages, informing them that key vulnerabilities in the bridge nodes had been addressed and patched.

Despite the recovery, nearly 600 Bitcoin—worth around $50 million at current market values—remains outstanding and unreturned. The incident spotlights ongoing security challenges for networks bridging blockchain platforms, particularly those handling large-scale digital assets. While much of the lost Bitcoin has been recovered, the partial return highlights the importance of continuous security monitoring and rapid response to breaches within blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

As of this writing, it remains unclear whether further negotiations or technical efforts are underway to recover the remaining BTC. Stakeholders and users of the Liquid network are advised to monitor official communication channels for updates.