US State Department offers up to $10 million in crypto bounties to white hat hackers

On August 17, the United States is offering cryptocurrency assets to incentivize white hat hackers to detect state-sponsored actors and potential terrorists on the dark web.

The U.S. State Department’s new “Rewards for Justice” platform allows whistleblowers to submit anonymous tips and information in exchange for rewards in digital assets. The platform was promoted at the Black Hat USA event in Las Vegas from July 31 to August 5, where users could submit tips through an unsecured Wi-Fi network called #Rewardsnotransoms.

According to CNN, the open network was deliberately set up to encourage attendees to log in and visit the RFJ website. In exchange for information about various terrorist suspects, extremists, and state-sponsored hackers, rewards of up to $10 million are being offered. Whistleblowers can choose whether they want to be compensated in the form of cryptocurrency assets. William Evanina, former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, described the move as the most public attempt by the U.S. government to take on cryptocurrency assets ever.