I would like to thank everyone for their support and understanding. It really means a lot. Having other people's money taken under my watch has made me feel just about as awful as I've ever felt in my life.
I think I should have a poll to determine how to pay the funds back. Here are the options I'm thinking:
1. Pay back over time with exchange fees.
2. Same as #1, but raise fees to expedite.
3. Sell shares of Poloniex to cover the debt; dividends paid regularly.
4. Award such shares to everyone immediately and consider that repayment.
Let me know if I'm forgetting an option here.
About recent deposits--it really wouldn't be fair to deduct deposits made after the BTC was taken. Obviously I should have posted a notice on the Balances page, but it is not difficult to make an exception for recent deposits.
I will be hiring a security programmer after this is dealt with.
1. Correct. It's your company and you will benefit from this profit wise in the long run. No one should bail out your company as it smacks of socialism.
2. Introduce small withdrawal fee of .20%. Only sensible option available that can be done quickly and easily.
3. Too complicated unless you know what you are doing. Expensive and time consuming. Would require full information of the company Poloniex and all company accounts. Would require contracts, legally binding and in the UK where we have contract laws etc. I would not accept any other countries.
4. same as 3.
5. Ask for 'donations', whereas if someone were to donate BTC now, you will pay them back in 3 months plus 5% interest for 3 months loan. Hell lot better return than the fiat banks.