Ethical hackers save crypto billions with SEAL's Safe Harbor

In August 2022, white hat hackers faced a dilemma as black hat hackers stole $190 million from the Nomad bridge. This prompted the Security Alliance (SEAL) to create the Safe Harbor Agreement, providing legal protection for white hats during active exploits. Three years later, SEAL recognizes 29 companies for adopting this agreement as part of its Safe Harbor Champions 2025 awards. The initiative aims to enhance security standards and protect customer assets, with notable participants like Polymarket, Uniswap, and Immunefi, which has helped save over $25 billion in customer funds. SEAL's volunteer white hats, including the pseudonymous c0ffeebabe.eth, have undertaken successful recoveries in various incidents, demonstrating the effectiveness of SEAL's framework. The Safe Harbor Agreement has evolved to include rigorous protocols for white hats, including the return of misappropriated funds within 72 hours, while providing financial rewards for successful recoveries. SEAL's initiative has garnered support from various cryptocurrencies and aims to prepare defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks, which surpassed losses of $2.85 billion in the first half of 2025 alone.

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