Ethereum developer details technical barriers to reversing $1.4b Bybit hack
An Ethereum developer provided an explanation of why the network cannot “rollback” transactions to recover Bybit’s stolen $1.4 billion.
The analysis compares the current situation with two historical cases where blockchain reversals were feasible. In 2010, Bitcoin successfully rolled back transactions when a bug created 184 billion BTC. The developer Tim Beiko stated that it was possible due to the network’s small size and clear protocol violation.
Similarly, Ethereum’s 2016 The DAO hack recovery succeeded because the stolen funds were frozen for 30 days, allowing time for community coordination.
Beiko mentioned that the Bybit hack has fundamentally different challenges. The theft happened through a compromised multisig interface that made malicious transactions appear legitimate to signers.
From Ethereum’s (ETH) perspective, these transactions followed all protocol rules, leaving no technical basis for intervention.
Attempt to reverse Bybit hack could cause disruption
Beiko also pointed out that modern cryptocurrency infrastructure has also grown more complex. The stolen funds were immediately mobile and could be routed through decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and cross-chain bridges.
This interconnectedness means any attempt to reverse transactions would create disruption across the ecosystem. This could affect legitimate trades and settlements, he says.
While Ethereum can still theoretically implement “irregular state changes” when funds are frozen and isolated, the last such proposal in 2018 faced strong opposition. That attempt aimed to recover 500,000 frozen ETH from a Parity wallet bug but was rejected due to concerns about centralization and precedent.
The technical limitations have been further highlighted by recent developments. Crypto mixer platform eXch has rejected Bybit’s request for cooperation in tracking the stolen funds.
SlowMist, a blockchain security firm, reports that hackers have already begun laundering the ETH through eXch, converting it to Bitcoin (BTC), Monero (XMR), and other cryptocurrencies.
SlowMist’s founder warned that eXch has a history of hostile behavior toward security researchers and recommended exchanges increase risk controls for funds originating from the platform.
The quick movement of assets through mixing services shows why technical solutions like rollbacks are no longer viable for major thefts in today’s crypto ecosystem.
