Aave moves to unfreeze $71M ETH recovered from April exploit amid legal battle.

Aave has filed an emergency motion in a U.S. court to unfreeze about $71 million in ETH recovered from an April 18 exploit. The funds are currently frozen due to a restraining notice linked to claims against North Korea, with plaintiffs seeking to seize the assets to satisfy unpaid judgments. Aave argues the ETH belongs to victims of the exploit, not attackers, and freezing the funds blocks their return to users, potentially causing wider disruptions in DeFi markets. The company seeks expedited court relief to continue the recovery and return process.