Ethereum Foundation opposes network rollback after Bybit hack
Ethereum’s Tim Beiko Rejects Blockchain Rollback After Bybit Hack.
Ethereum Foundation lead developer Tim Beiko has dismissed calls for a blockchain rollback after the recent Bybit hack, calling the idea impractical and unfeasible.
His detailed post on X outlined why reversing transactions to recover stolen funds would be impossible given the network’s current complexity.
Historical Precedents and Network Complexity
Beiko pointed out that blockchain rollbacks have precedent only under very specific circumstances. He recalled an early Bitcoin incident in 2010—when Satoshi Nakamoto intervened to invalidate a transaction—and a similar, limited intervention during the 2016 DAO hack on Ethereum, which ultimately led to a hard fork and the creation of Ethereum Classic. However, he emphasized that the conditions during those events were radically different. Bitcoin’s trading volume was minimal at the time, and the DAO incident involved a failsafe that froze withdrawals on a single decentralized application.
In contrast, the recent Bybit hack involved a compromised multi-signature wallet interface where the custodian unwittingly approved a malicious transaction. Unlike the DAO case, the hacker has already begun transferring the stolen funds, setting off a chain reaction that Beiko warns could lead to a continuous cat-and-mouse scenario if a rollback were attempted.
Interconnected Ecosystem Risks
Beiko further explained that Ethereum’s network is now far too interconnected—encompassing numerous bridges, decentralized finance protocols, and various layer-2 solutions—for any “irregular state change” to be executed without risking catastrophic ripple effects across the ecosystem. A rollback, he argued, would disrupt countless dependent systems, undermining the stability and security that have been built over years of development.
By rejecting the rollback proposal, Beiko underscores the importance of maintaining protocol integrity and avoiding interventions that could destabilize the network. As the crypto industry continues to evaluate recovery strategies in the wake of high-profile exploits, Ethereum’s layered and interconnected architecture remains a key factor in resisting drastic measures such as network rollbacks.
Recently we wrote, that in a series of provocative posts on X, several prominent figures in the crypto community have called for a rollback of the Ethereum blockchain to reverse the effects of a massive $1.4 billion hack on the Bybit exchange.
