How to restore justice for the affected Linea users after the AdsPower hack?
Recently, many users faced a serious issue: their wallets were blocklisted by Linea after the AdsPowerBrowser hack. This decision deprives them of their well-deserved rewards, even though they had previously successfully passed the Proof of Humanity (PoH) verification and a detailed sybil activity analysis conducted by Nansen.
The inclusion of these wallets in the blocklist, as I assume, may be due to concerns that malicious actors gained access to them and could steal future tokens. However, the Linea team has not provided clear explanations on this matter, aside from a few official messages in Discord (see below), which convey a different message. They claim that the addresses compromised through the AdsPower hack were blocked due to sybil activity. This statement is unfair and inaccurate.
The statement that these addresses were added to the blocklist due to their connection with a large number of compromised accounts creates the impression that the team does not draw a clear distinction between sybil activity and the consequences of compromise. This leads to legitimate users being under suspicion and being perceived as fraudsters.
It is clear that during the hack on January 24-25, the hacker linked all the affected wallets with their own, creating an artificial interwoven network of addresses. These connections were not made by the users’ will, but were a result of the compromise of their wallets by the malicious actor.
The hacker’s address database and the list of addresses compromised on January 24-25 are available for viewing at the Dune link. After reviewing the appeals, an additional 13,586 addresses were added to the blocklist, which roughly corresponds to the number of addresses affected by the hacker attack on the Linea network. This suggests that addresses were added to the blocklist en masse without thorough analysis.
Moreover, the lack of an appeal process is a serious concern. Users flagged by Nansen for signs of sybil activity were given a chance to dispute the decision through appeals. However, honest users affected by the Ads Power hack were not even given such an opportunity.
In this situation, it would be extremely unfair to leave things as they are for the honest members of the Linea community. I have studied this issue and propose a solution that would restore the right to rewards for the rightful wallet owners while preventing opportunities for fraudsters.
Option 1: Reverification via PoH
Reverification Process
• Access to the verification page is granted only to whitelisted users affected by the Ads Power breach.
• They will be able to reverify their PoH using the same social networks as before.
For example:
• Twitter — via TrustaLabs
• Gmail — via openid_3
• Gitcoin Passport (now HumnPassport)
After successful verification, a window will appear where users can delegate the airdrop to a new address, with no option for re-linking the address.
Access Restriction
• Reverification is only available to users from the blocklist who have no signs of sybil activity but were affected by the breach.
• This will restore airdrop access to legitimate users while preventing fraudsters from claiming rewards.
Option 2: Recovery via Withdrawal History
Status Differentiation on the Proof of Humanity (PoH) Page
Green Status — Wallets that were not compromised remain unchanged.
Yellow Status — Wallets drained via AdsPower get an option for additional verification and can specify a new address for the airdrop.
Verification and New Address Linking
• The user enters a wallet address where they withdrew funds before 2025 (typically an exchange address).
• If the address is verified, the wallet receives Yellow Status and access to recovery.
The system rejects:
• Addresses with withdrawals only in 2025.
• Addresses linked to fraudsters.
• New wallets with no withdrawal history.
Claiming and Distribution
Green Status wallets — Manual claiming from 12:00.
Yellow Status wallets — Automatic airdrop to the verified exchange address (e.g., starting at 17:00).
Additional Security Measures
If stronger protection against bypassing is needed, an extra measure can be added:
Limited time window for re-verification.
Minimal Infrastructure Changes
The proposed solution seamlessly integrates into the existing system without requiring complex technical modifications. This enables a quick implementation of protective measures without significant resource expenditure.
I invite the Linea team and Nansen analysts to join the discussion. I want to hear your perspectives and work together to find a solution that ensures the recovery process is fair, secure, and transparent.
Many affected users, including myself, actively participated in the Infura testnet, Voyage, and were among the first to execute transactions on mainnet. We engaged in quests, contributing to Linea growth and success. We are loyal supporters who do not deserve to be left behind.
It is crucial that those who suffered from the hack receive their rightful rewards. We didn’t just believe in something—we believed in Linea. Linea, don’t let us down!