In an extensive thread on the X social media platform, TruthLabs, an on-chain forensic analyst also known as @BoringSleuth and endorsed by former ETH advisor Steven Nerayoff, has made serious allegations against the Ethereum Foundation. According to TruthLabs, there is transactional evidence linking the foundation to the Gatecoin hack in 2016, an incident that occurred before the notorious hack of The DAO.
The crux of this revelation revolves around a series of Ethereum wallet addresses and their interconnected transactions, meticulously traced back to moments preceding the hack. The thread kicks off with a bold assertion from TruthLabs, stating, “Proof of the Ethereum Foundation’s involvement in the Gatecoin Hack in 2016, prior to the exploitation of The DAO,” setting the stage for a narrative that unveils a complex web of transactions, contracts, and potentially incriminating associations.
The Gatecoin hack unfolded between May 9 and May 12, 2016, during a turbulent period in the crypto market, just ahead of The DAO’s token sale and its subsequent hack. Gatecoin reported losses of 185,000 Ethereum from their wallets, an amount currently valued at over $460 million.
TruthLabs, in their investigative thread, scrutinizes the on-chain movements related to this event, focusing on four Ethereum addresses believed to be directly involved in the hack. One address, 0x1342a0, becomes a focal point due to its activities before the hack.
This wallet received an initial transfer of 1.6 Ether from another wallet, 0x8266, on May 9, 2016. TruthLabs delves into the origins and transactions of 0x8266, noting its developmental activities, including the creation of 10 distinct contracts. The wallet’s interactions revealed a close connection with wallet 0x556b, another development-centric address involved in setting up nine contracts and creating tokens resembling The DAO’s infrastructure.
0x556b, the last wallet that sent funds to the hackers’ 0x8266 wallet when they needed it, was initially funded by the Ethereum Foundation’s main wallet. In fact, they only received ETH from the foundation before the Gatecoin exploit.
The central accusation hinges on the origin of funds for wallet 0x556b. TruthLabs reveals, “0x556b, the last wallet that sent gas funds to the hackers’ 0x8266 wallet when they needed it, was originally funded by the Ethereum Foundation’s own main wallet,” pointing to a direct financial path from the Ethereum Foundation to the Gatecoin hackers. This revelation is supported by a forensic map detailing the flow of funds and contract interactions leading from the foundation to the actors behind the Gatecoin hack.
Adding to the complexity, TruthLabs speculates on the potential motive behind Ethereum’s alleged involvement, citing financial forecasts from September 2015. The analyst suggests that the Foundation might have been facing a financial crisis, with predictions of running out of funds by June 2016, coinciding with the Gatecoin and The DAO hacks.
Steven Nerayoff, in his supporting statement, emphasizes the severity of these accusations and urges a response from the implicated parties. He states, “Vitalik Buterin & Joseph Lubin, the on-chain data by @BoringSleuth is either right or not. Silence can only be construed as an admission of guilt given the magnitude of these allegations.”
This sentiment is echoed by TruthLabs, who invites the crypto community to independently verify the findings and participate in unraveling the full extent of these claims. As of now, neither Vitalik Buterin nor any other individual from the ETH network has commented on the accusations. The silence from Buterin and Lubin certainly does not help to quell the critics
