The hacker behind a $20 million crypto heist from a U.S. government wallet has returned most of the stolen funds

According to blockchain analyst ZachXBT, approximately $19 million—comprising 2,408 ETH and 13.19 million aUSDC—was sent back to the government-controlled wallet.

This reimbursement follows a breach involving various seized assets, including Ethereum and stablecoins, initially confiscated as part of the government’s 2016 Bitfinex hack investigation.

Arkham Intelligence data reveals that the hacker accessed funds from nine government-seized accounts, moving them into a personal wallet and converting some to Ethereum.

Shortly after the breach, these assets were routed through decentralized platforms, including Aave, with some suspicious activity linked to known laundering services.

Though 88% of the stolen funds were returned within 24 hours, about $700,000 remains missing, potentially sent to exchanges like Switchain or HitBTC.