# CLUE: Towards Discovering Locked Cryptocurrencies in Ethereum

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.01370 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.01370/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Dec 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [GasTrace: Detecting Sandwich Attack Malicious Accounts in Ethereum](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.19971/) (2024)
- [An Overview of AI and Blockchain Integration for Privacy-Preserving](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.03928/) (2023)
- [A Comprehensive Study of Exploitable Patterns in Smart Contracts: From Vulnerability to Defense](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.21480/) (2025)
- [Towards Understanding Deep Learning Model in Image Recognition via Coverage Test](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.08814/) (2025)
- [Facial Recognition Leveraging Generative Adversarial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.11884/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

As the most popular blockchain that supports smart contracts, there are already more than 296 thousand kinds of cryptocurrencies built on Ethereum. However, not all cryptocurrencies can be controlled by users. For example, some money is permanently locked in wallets' accounts due to attacks. In this paper, we conduct the first systematic investigation on locked cryptocurrencies in Ethereum. In particular, we define three categories of accounts with locked cryptocurrencies and develop a novel tool named CLUE to discover them. Results show that there are more than 216 million dollars value of cryptocurrencies locked in Ethereum. We also analyze the reasons (i.e., attacks/behaviors) why cryptocurrencies are locked. Because the locked cryptocurrencies can never be controlled by users, avoid interacting with the accounts discovered by CLUE and repeating the same mistakes again can help users to save money.