The advantage of crypto: everything is decentralized; no one can stop you, and transactions are irreversible. But then you get right to the downside of crypto: everything is transparent; anyone with an Internet connection can watch what you do. Your stolen digital tokens are as colored from the robbery as the bills in a bank vault after a paint bomb goes off. A lot of money, but is anyone ever going to take those coins?
Instead of keeping the millions himself and seeking a confrontation with the investigating authorities, the hacker decided almost immediately to deposit some 7.9 million USD back into the hacked Moola market. After proper consultation, he was allowed to keep the remaining five tons as a bounty; compensation for his services rendered and not exceptional in the crypto ecosystem. With that, 94% of the tokens are back and the Moola market can be restarted. A win-win you could say: Moola-market is a bit stronger again and the hacker has his compensation. Still, the question remains: was this the intention?
Black VS white hat hackers
Black hat hackers hack for their gain and then try to launder the cryptos, as was the case with the Ronin bridge hack. According to blockchain analysis company Chainalysis, in this 625 million USD hack, only a few tens of millions were "cashed out," a fraction of the total, and thus the ultimate damage was limited.
White hat hackers, on the other hand, hack to test systems, to make them better, and often return the loot. In return, the hackers receive compensation. Such fees can be hefty; in June, six million was paid to a white hat hacker. This hacker had not even stolen anything yet but was paid because of the amount he could have stolen due to the vulnerability he had found. This bounty is "clean" and can be spent regularly.