hodler

3 May 2026, 00:14

Mythos AI Shakes Crypto Security: AAVE Reaction

Anthropic's Mythos AI model is questioning crypto security approaches. The model targeting inter-system weaknesses highlights AAVE's response to the Kelp DAO exploit: 301M$ in commitments were coll...

2 May 2026, 21:28

KelpDAO and Drift Lead Devastating $650M Crypto Hack Wave of April

April 2026 turned out to be an unusual month for the crypto market. While overall activity remained steady on the surface against significant geopolitical turmoil, the space saw a series of exploits that shook investor confidence. The leading blockchain security firm, CertiK, reported that crypto-related exploits and incidents in April 2026 resulted in total losses of over $650 million. April Hacks The largest incidents were led by KelpDAO, which lost $292 million, followed by Drift Protocol at $285.2 million. The Drift Protocol exploit followed weeks of setup and months of social engineering to gain access to protocol signers. The funds were drained in about 12 minutes. In comparison, the KelpDAO hack stemmed from a single-verifier flaw in a LayerZero bridge, as attackers later moved funds through THORChain after over $70 million was frozen on Arbitrum Other exploits include Rhea Finance at $18.4 million, Grinex at $16.2 million, among others. By sector, DeFi projects saw the highest losses at $609.3 million, while unverified contracts lost $8.5 million, GameFi $3.4 million, bridge-related incidents $2.8 million, and meme-related projects $1.9 million. In terms of categories, wallet compromises accounted for the majority of losses at $611 million, followed by price manipulation at $18.8 million, code vulnerabilities at $16.9 million, phishing at $3.5 million, and front-end attacks at $544.7k. Fewer Attacks, Higher Financial Impact North Korean hacking groups made up 76% of all crypto hack losses in 2026 through April, according to TRM Labs. This was not because they carried out more attacks, but because two major incidents alone caused $577 million in losses, which ended up outweighing all other activity. This pattern of fewer but higher-impact attacks has been typical of North Korea’s strategy since 2017. TRM found that their share of total crypto theft has steadily increased over the years, rising from under 10% in 2020 and 2021 to 22% in 2022, 37% in 2023, 39% in 2024, and 64% in 2025. That jump in 2025 was largely driven by the Bybit breach, where $1.46 billion was taken through a compromised Safe{Wallet} signing interface, which made it the largest crypto hack recorded so far. In 2026, the combined losses from KelpDAO and Drift stand out in a similar way. What remains consistent is the pace of activity, with only a small number of carefully planned operations each year. What is changing, however, is how these attacks are carried out. North Korea’s total crypto theft has now crossed $6 billion since 2017, as per TRM’s findings. Experts believe that these groups may be using AI tools to improve reconnaissance and social engineering for more precise and targeted exploits. The post KelpDAO and Drift Lead Devastating $650M Crypto Hack Wave of April appeared first on CryptoPotato .

2 May 2026, 15:52

Wasabi Protocol Hack: $4.5M Loss and DeFi Lessons

Wasabi Protocol hacked for 4.55M$: Single admin key drained vaults via UUPS. DRIFT delisted after Drift-like heist. ETH $2307, strong support $2221. DeFi losses exceed 770M$; multisig mandatory. Re...

2 May 2026, 13:00

The $292M crypto hack exposed DeFi's weak spots. Here’s what must change, insiders say

As Wall Street moves onchain, the year's biggest crypto hack and DeFi crisis is forcing a rethink of risk, security and market structure, industry insiders told CoinDesk.

2 May 2026, 12:22

Zcash patches critical flaws as crypto hacks hit $651M in one month

Today, May 2, 2026, the Zcash Foundation just released Zebra 4.4.0, urging all node operators to upgrade immediately after fixing multiple security flaws, including several that could have split the network’s consensus. The patch comes as April closes out as the worst month for crypto exploits so far. Blockchain security firm CertiK confirmed roughly $651 million in total losses across the industry. What kind of Zcash flaws does Zebra 4.4.0 fix? The update resolves five separate vulnerabilities in Zebra, the Rust-based Zcash node implementation built by the Zcash Foundation. Three of the bugs are consensus-critical, meaning that attackers could have exploited them and made Zebra nodes accept transactions that legacy zcashd clients would reject, thus splitting the network. The most severe issue (GHSA-28xj-328h-72vm) allowed a remote hacker to permanently stop a node from discovering new blocks with just one connection. The attack combined three weaknesses in how Zebra shared and downloaded information. According to the Zcash Foundation’s notice, the exploit “produced zero misbehavior score, zero bans, and zero disconnections,” thus making it invisible to standard monitoring tools. A second bug (GHSA-jv4h-j224-23cc) also made Zebra lose count of how many signatures were inside a block of transactions (it would usually count less than the 20,000-sigop block limit). Apparently, Zebra’s system ignored two specific types of scripts (the Coinbase input’s scriptSig, and P2SH signatures) during block validation. Because of this, an attacker could create a block exploiting both gaps, passing Zebra’s checks but failing on zcashd and creating a chain split. The third major issue (GHSA-gq4h-3grw-2rhv) happened because of a previous sighash fix that left stale data in a temporary storage area (buffer) readable across Zebra’s C++ foreign function interface. As such, an attacker could exploit this by using a valid signature to fill the buffer with correct information, and then send in a second transaction with an invalid hash type that would pass verification based on the leftover data. To resolve this, the Foundation applied a temporary fix that scatters the buffer with random bytes if a check fails, thus preventing the system from reusing old information until a permanent fix is deployed. The last two bugs caused disagreements between other parts of the system. One bug overloaded the network by making it use too much memory when reading messages (GHSA-438q-jx8f-cccv). The other was a minor coding discrepancy in how Zebra verified certain transactions (GHSA-cwfq-rfcr-8hmp). The Foundation noted the latter was not practically exploitable, but still went ahead to patch it to match zcashd behavior. Security researcher Sangsoo-osec was credited with discovering three of the five issues. Could the release have come at a better time? According to DeFiLlama , April 2026 was the most-hacked month in crypto history (by number of incidents), suffering an estimated 28 to 30 separate attacks. CertiK’s X post on April 30 put total losses at approximately $651 million, the highest since March 2022, excluding the Bybit breach in February 2025. Two incidents were responsible for most of the damage. On April 1, Drift Protocol lost about $285 million in a social-engineering operation linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. By April 18, KelpDAO had suffered its own $293 million message-spoofing exploit targeting a LayerZero cross-chain bridge, according to Cryptopolitan . Notably, none of April’s exploits targeted Zcash directly. But the sheer volume of attacks across chains reflects why its Foundation chose to label the Zebra update as “critical” and push for immediate adoption. What Zcash node operators should do The Foundation advises all operators to upgrade to Zebra 4.4.0 immediately, as the release doesn’t introduce any other significant changes beyond the security fixes. Node operators running older versions remain exposed to all five vulnerabilities, including the block-discovery halt that requires only a single malicious connection to execute. ZEC traded at $377.46 at the time of writing, according to CoinMarketCap, with a market cap of $6.28 billion. If you want a calmer entry point into DeFi crypto without the usual hype, start with this free video.

2 May 2026, 12:10

Ethereum Mainnet Transactions Shatter Records: April Hits All-Time High of 72.8 Million

BitcoinWorld Ethereum Mainnet Transactions Shatter Records: April Hits All-Time High of 72.8 Million Ethereum mainnet transactions reached a historic milestone in April. According to a new report from Blockbeat, the network processed a staggering 72.8 million transactions. This new all-time high surpasses previous records and signals a significant surge in on-chain activity. The data provides a clear snapshot of how users are interacting with the Ethereum blockchain. Ethereum Mainnet Transactions Hit 72.8 Million in April The Blockbeat report breaks down the transaction types. Token transfers dominated the activity, accounting for 62% of all transactions. This category includes the movement of ERC-20 tokens and other digital assets. Utility transactions, which involve smart contract interactions for decentralized applications (dApps), made up 13% of the volume. Financial transactions, including decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, represented 8%. Cross-chain bridge activity accounted for 2%, while the remaining 15% fell under other miscellaneous categories. Key Transaction Breakdown Token Transfers: 62% (45.1 million transactions) Utility (dApps & Smart Contracts): 13% (9.5 million) Financial (DeFi): 8% (5.8 million) Cross-Chain: 2% (1.5 million) Other: 15% (10.9 million) What Drove the Surge in Ethereum Network Activity? Several factors contributed to this record-breaking month. The ongoing expansion of layer-2 scaling solutions has reduced congestion on the mainnet. However, this did not prevent a rise in base-layer activity. Increased adoption of decentralized exchanges and lending platforms likely fueled the financial transaction segment. Furthermore, a spike in non-fungible token (NFT) minting and trading activities may have boosted token transfer numbers. The utility category also saw growth from new gaming and social dApps. Comparing Historical Data To understand the scale of this achievement, consider previous highs. The Ethereum mainnet previously peaked at around 65 million monthly transactions in late 2021 during the last bull market. The new April figure of 72.8 million represents an approximate 12% increase over that previous record. This growth occurred despite higher transaction fees on certain days, indicating strong user demand. Month Transaction Count Key Event November 2021 ~65 million Bull market peak April 2024 72.8 million New all-time high Implications for Ethereum Scalability and Fees This record transaction volume has direct implications for the network. Higher activity typically leads to increased competition for block space. Consequently, gas fees can rise during peak periods. The report does not specify average fees for April, but historical patterns suggest that sustained high volume can strain the mainnet. This underscores the critical role of layer-2 solutions like Arbitrum and Optimism. These platforms process transactions off-chain, reducing the load on Ethereum mainnet transactions. The Role of Layer-2 Networks Despite the mainnet record, layer-2 networks also experienced growth. Data from L2Beat shows that combined layer-2 transaction volume now frequently exceeds mainnet activity. This suggests that the Ethereum ecosystem is scaling effectively. The mainnet remains the settlement layer, while most user interactions occur on faster, cheaper layer-2 chains. This bifurcation of activity is a healthy sign for the network’s long-term scalability. Expert Analysis on the On-Chain Data Blockchain analysts point to this data as evidence of real-world utility. The high proportion of token transfers indicates that Ethereum is primarily used as a value transfer network. The 13% utility share shows consistent use of smart contracts for non-financial applications. Financial transactions, while smaller in percentage, represent a significant absolute number of DeFi operations. The 2% cross-chain activity reflects the growing multi-chain world. Network Health and Security Processing 72.8 million transactions in a single month requires a robust and secure network. The Ethereum mainnet maintained its operational integrity throughout April. No major outages or security breaches were reported during this period of high activity. This performance reinforces the network’s reputation as a reliable and secure platform for decentralized applications and digital assets. Future Outlook for Ethereum On-Chain Metrics Looking ahead, analysts expect transaction volumes to remain elevated. The upcoming Dencun upgrade, which introduces proto-danksharding (EIP-4844), is designed to further reduce layer-2 fees. This could indirectly increase mainnet activity as more users and developers join the ecosystem. However, the exact impact on mainnet transaction counts remains to be seen. The record set in April sets a new benchmark for the network’s capacity and user adoption. Conclusion The new all-time high of 72.8 million Ethereum mainnet transactions in April marks a significant milestone. The data reveals a network dominated by token transfers but supported by growing utility and financial use cases. This record underscores Ethereum’s position as the leading smart contract platform. It also highlights the ongoing need for scalable solutions to manage increasing demand. As the ecosystem evolves, these on-chain metrics will continue to provide valuable insights into the health and adoption of the Ethereum network. FAQs Q1: What is the significance of Ethereum mainnet transactions hitting 72.8 million? A1: It represents the highest monthly transaction volume in Ethereum’s history, indicating strong network usage and adoption for token transfers, DeFi, and dApps. Q2: What types of transactions are included in the record? A2: The breakdown includes token transfers (62%), utility smart contract interactions (13%), financial/DeFi transactions (8%), cross-chain bridge activity (2%), and other miscellaneous transactions (15%). Q3: How does this record affect Ethereum gas fees? A3: Higher transaction volume typically increases competition for block space, which can lead to higher gas fees during peak times. However, layer-2 solutions help mitigate this. Q4: Is the Ethereum network becoming more centralized due to high activity? A4: No, the record activity does not indicate centralization. The network remains decentralized, with thousands of validators processing transactions. Layer-2 solutions also add to the ecosystem’s decentralization. Q5: Will Ethereum mainnet transactions continue to grow? A5: Likely yes, as the ecosystem expands. Upgrades like Dencun and the growth of layer-2 networks may drive even more activity to the mainnet as the settlement layer. This post Ethereum Mainnet Transactions Shatter Records: April Hits All-Time High of 72.8 Million first appeared on BitcoinWorld .