American startup asks candidates to hack a Bitcoin wallet as part of recruitment

A cybersecurity startup based in New York, Red Balloon Security, sends applicants a hard drive with Bitcoin locked on it as a test task. This is reported by Business Insider.

The kit also includes an adapter, a note with instructions and several boxes of Nerds candies.

Source: Business Insider.

On the hard drive, 0.1337 BTC is locked (about $4,845 at the time of writing). The amount is not random: in hacker slang, ‘leet’ means ‘elite’.

Within a week, the applicant must gain access to the cryptocurrency wallet. If successful, part of the funds must be spent on buying a ticket to New York to meet a representative of Red Balloon Security.

The company ships packages to almost everyone who applies. Of 150-200 shipments, only one applicant successfully completes the assignment.

Red Balloon regularly changes the contents of the test so that applicants cannot share their work online.

Source: Business Insider.

Founded in 2011, Red Balloon specializes in Internet of Things security. In 2018 it raised $21.9 million in Series A funding.

Now the company employs 29 people. Six joined in 2020 after successfully passing the Bitcoin wallet hacking test.

In July 2020, Ethereum 2.0 developers proposed hackers hack two testnets for $5,000 each.

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