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Bitget Hacker Reportedly Swapped $50 Million Through NEAR Intents Platform

(3 days ago) · 1 source · Summarized by CryptoBipto — how we make this

A hacker who reportedly stole funds from the Bitget exchange allegedly used NEAR Intents to swap approximately $50 million in cryptocurrency. The incident has raised questions about the practical implications of NEAR Intents' permissionless design and whether such platforms can or should intervene in cases involving stolen funds.

WHY IT MATTERS

In traditional finance, banks and payment processors can freeze accounts or block transactions if they suspect criminal activity. Decentralized platforms in crypto are often built to be "permissionless," meaning anyone can use them without needing approval, much like how anyone can send an email without asking permission. This incident highlights a key tradeoff: permissionless systems offer open access and resist censorship, but they can also be used by hackers to move stolen money. For newcomers to crypto, this story illustrates one of the ongoing debates in the space — how to balance the ideals of open, decentralized technology with the need to prevent misuse.

According to reports, a hacker linked to a Bitget exchange exploit used NEAR Intents, a decentralized swap infrastructure built on the NEAR Protocol, to convert approximately $50 million worth of stolen cryptocurrency.

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