Blockstream refuses ransom demand after Liquid hackers seize 600 BTC

Blockstream isn't playing ball with the hackers who just walked away with nearly 600 BTC from the Liquid Network. The firm flatly rejected a ransom demand this week, choosing instead to hunt down the stolen assets through official channels. It's a high-stakes standoff involving roughly $57 million at current market prices. Blockstream's security team is now coordinating with law enforcement and forensic specialists to blacklist the coins before they hit centralized exchanges. They're betting that a transparent audit trail will make the loot impossible to cash out. By squeezing the exit ramps, the company hopes to force a return of the funds without rewarding the exploiters. The attackers now hold a massive fortune they can't easily move without triggering alarms across the entire industry. Will the hackers cave and return the Bitcoin for a white-hat bounty, or will these coins sit frozen in a digital dead-end forever?