Hackers behind Bitget's approximately $387.5 million security breach encountered significant resistance when attempting to move stolen cryptocurrency through Near Intents, a cross-chain protocol. The platform's SHIELD security system identified more than $50 million in suspicious transfer attempts, stopping transactions and freezing over half a million dollars in crypto during execution.
Near Intents detected the laundering attempts on September 28, four days after Bitget's September 24 breach. According to Aurora co-founder Alex Shevchenko, approximately $166,000 slipped through Near Intents while another $503,000 was frozen mid-execution. Shevchenko noted these figures are rounded estimates with potential attribution errors of up to 10 percent.
How SHIELD Detected the Activity
SHIELD, Near Intents' automated risk-intelligence layer, monitors transaction patterns and collects information from blockchain intelligence firms, know-your-transaction providers, independent researchers, and industry participants. When suspicious activity is identified, the system can decline to provide transaction quotes or halt transfers already in progress.
Near Intents processes over $100 million in daily cross-chain trading volume. Shevchenko explained that much of the cryptocurrency moving through cross-chain services eventually converged on Ethereum as ETH.
Recovery Bounty Waived
Near Intents announced it would waive its share of Bitget's recovery bounty, leaving additional funds available for the exchange to recover. The $503,000 frozen remains restricted pending appropriate legal and recovery proceedings, with Near Intents directing Bitget to pursue those funds through established legal and law enforcement channels.
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen praised the intervention, stating that permissionless infrastructure does not require operators to facilitate the laundering of stolen property. Chen indicated she would follow up with appropriate legal and recovery processes and thanked the Near Intents team.
Broader Industry Position
Shevchenko emphasized that building permissionless systems does not require their operators to facilitate theft. He also warned wallet providers that integrations with questionable liquidity sources can expose both operators and users to legal, regulatory, and reputational consequences. Near Intents intends to remain permissionless infrastructure while actively opposing the laundering of hacked funds.
