Liquid hackers return $270M in BTC after $320M heist

The partial return of stolen funds marks an unusual resolution in a major crypto heist, suggesting that the patching of bridge nodes may have reduced the attackers' leverage or that the recovery bounty influenced their decision. The outstanding ~600 BTC remains a focal point, as it tests whether the remaining funds will be returned or retained. For the broader market, this event underscores the operational risks inherent in cross-chain bridges and the evolving dynamics of negotiating with hackers post-exploit. Whether the full recovery materializes and how this shapes security practices for custodial platforms will be key watch points.