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FTC Proposes Settlement With Nomad Operator After $186 Million Crypto Bridge Hack

Regulators allege the company touted “security-first” claims despite inadequate safeguards.

Overview

  • The proposed agreement would bar security misrepresentations, require a formal information‑security program, and mandate independent biennial assessments.
  • Illusory Systems must return recovered user funds, with about $37.5 million to be repaid within a year of final approval or 30 days after related litigation concludes.
  • The FTC says a June 2022 code change created the flaw exploited on August 1, 2022, draining roughly $186 million in ETH, USDC, DAI, and WBTC.
  • Investigators cite missing basics such as unit tests, fraud monitoring, clear vulnerability reporting, and kill‑switch controls, with staff even relaying code from an engineer on a flight during the attack.
  • The agreement is posted for public comment before a final Commission vote, and Israeli authorities earlier this year arrested Alexander Gurevich, accused of initiating the exploit.