The Hyperliquid Foundation has made headlines with its recent contribution of 10,000 HYPE tokens to blockchain investigator ZachXBT. Valued at approximately $254,000, this donation marks the second-largest single contribution ZachXBT has received.
On January 18, 2026, ZachXBT confirmed the receipt of the funds and shared an updated leaderboard showcasing his top contributors. Currently, Optimism leads the list, with Hyperliquid following closely, and others such as Octant, The White Whale, and Arbitrum also making appearances.
ZachXBT took to his Telegram channel to express gratitude towards Hyperliquid for their generous support. He is well-known for maintaining transparency regarding his funding sources, regularly publishing information about those who back his efforts in tracking down crypto-related crimes and scams. His work has played a pivotal role in recovering millions in stolen assets and unveiling various fraudulent schemes within the cryptocurrency landscape.
Notably, the timing of Hyperliquid”s donation aligns closely with ZachXBT”s latest investigation into a significant theft incident. On January 10, 2026, he uncovered a theft involving 2.05 million LTC and 1,459 BTC from a single victim”s hardware wallet. The total value of this theft reached an astounding $282 million, marking it as the largest individual crypto theft recorded in 2026.
The attack transpired around 11 PM UTC and allegedly involved supply chain manipulation or social engineering tactics, allowing the hackers to circumvent the security measures typically associated with hardware wallets. Following the theft, ZachXBT meticulously tracked the stolen funds as they traversed various exchanges, ultimately discovering that the assailant converted the stolen Bitcoin and Litecoin into Monero to obfuscate the trail. This conversion also caused a notable spike in the price of Monero due to the influx of large volumes into the privacy-focused cryptocurrency.
Through this contribution, the Hyperliquid Foundation not only reinforces its commitment to supporting investigative efforts in the blockchain space but also ensures that ZachXBT can continue his vital work independent of traditional funding pressures, which could potentially influence his objectivity.
