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19 May 2026, 09:34
ECHO Token Drops Nearly 12% After $76M eBTC Mint Exploit Shakes Monad Deployment
A serious security breach of ECHO resulting due to a flawed smart contract has left investors with the jitters and a parallel drop within the total crypto market cap and value pairs. According to data cited in the CoinGecko report on ECHO drop, the token fell by 11.9% when reports came out that a vulnerability allowed an attacker to create 1,000 eBTC tokens worth about $76.7 million. JUST IN: $ECHO falls 11.9% following reports of an exploit allowing an attacker to mint 1,000 eBTC tokens worth approximately $76.7M. pic.twitter.com/0AZHx6GZWa — CoinGecko (@coingecko) May 19, 2026 Such an instantaneous price movement reflects just how quickly sentiment can change once the underlying vulnerabilities emerge, specially in newly established ecosystems that are still working to build a case for trust around/through cross-chain infrastructure. Initial reports noted a large-scale minting event, although more later disclosures pointed to damages much smaller than initially reported, making it more difficult for the market to assess the incident. Reactions from the broader crypto community were immediate, as analysts and on-chain observers quickly attempted to unpack the mechanics of the exploit itself and its implications. The exploit breakdown demonstrates the technical sophistication of weatherevent and how these funds were moved. According to the preliminary analysis from on-chain analysts, this is a large-scale mint-lending-bridge-launder amounting operation with several stages involved (as shared over at Lookonchain transaction breakdown). Crazy — another hack just happened! According to @dcfgod , @EchoProtocol_ on Monad was exploited. The hacker: minted 1,000 $eBTC ($76.64M) on Monad; deposited 45 $eBTC ($3.45M) into Curvance; borrowed 11.3 $WBTC ($867K) from Curvance; bridged the 11.3 $WBTC to Ethereum and… pic.twitter.com/YeGiUFGS1j — Lookonchain (@lookonchain) May 19, 2026 Their first step consisted of minting 1,000 eBTC (or about $76.64 million in nominal value) on the Monad network Then, 45 eBTC (around $3.45 million) was sent to a lending protocol named Curvance, paired as collateral to receive 11.3 WBTC worth of approximately $867,000. From there, the WBTC was bridged to Ethereum and swapped for 385 ETH, approximately $821,000. At the end of the funnel, the ETH was moved through Tornado Cash to hide transactions and launder funds. Nonetheless, the attacker still possessed 955 eBTC (worth more than $73 million at the time), which raised immediate red flags around future moves and systemic risk. Admin Key Compromise Confirmed by the Echo Protocol Through a post in Echo Protocol incident update on social media, they acknowledged unauthorized operations of eBTC on Monad to discover that the problem was due to an unsafe withdrawal that had compromised one of the admin keys. The protocol said that the vulnerability was limited to Monad where unauthorized minting could lead to a loss of funds. Yet, the Monad network per se was still very much alive and had continued to function seamlessly. This was confirmed further by additional clarification provided by Monad’s co-founder here that the issue is strictly on the application layer, not the underlying network infrastructure. To clarify, the Monad network is not affected and is operating normally Security researchers in their review have determined that ~$816,000 appears to have been stolen as a result of this exploit of @EchoProtocol_ 's eBTC — Keone Hon (@keoneHD) May 18, 2026 According to Echo Protocol, the direct financial loss associated with Monad is estimated at around $816,000 a number that starkly contrasts the headline minting event of $76 million. This is underscoring the difference between a theoretical view of token value and extractable loss in practice. Containment Measures And Recovery Actions Undertaken Echo Protocol quickly moved to limit the damage done after discovering an exploit of a bug that caused systems to take backup snapshots. The people got back control of the admin keys which were compromised and then burned the other 955 eBTC owned by the attacker. Their decisive intervention not only averted more abuse but also protected the overall market from being destabilized by an artificially high token supply. At the same time, the protocol took several precautions to strengthen its infrastructure. They immediately halted cross-chain functionality for the Monad deployment, updating related smart contracts to restrict sensitive operations and strengthen administrative controls. These measures are designed to prevent similar vulnerabilities being exploited again in future. Echo Protocol suspended its Aptos bridge as a precaution, although no breach had been on Aptos. This is a symptom of the cross-chain system gaining designer attention, as breaches in one area can spread unless they are isolated without delay. Earlier today, Echo Protocol identified unauthorized activity involving eBTC on Monad that resulted in unauthorized minting and associated fund loss. Our investigation indicates the issue originated from a compromised admin key affecting the Monad deployment. Based on current… — Echo Protocol (@EchoProtocol_) May 19, 2026 The Investigation Goes On: Limited Contact Beyond Monad Echo Protocol which further calmed stakeholders by outlining the nature of the spillover across its ecosystem. The team further concluded that the exploit seems to be limited to Monad and there is no indication of a breach against Aptos. They also ensured that aBTC on Aptos and eBTC on Monad are completely distinct, non-bridgeable assets which saves them from cross-chain contagion. Echo lending markets and Hyperion liquidity pools report no loss of funds with an estimated £71,000 current exposure on Aptos. Independent security researchers examining the case largely agree with Echo that around $816,000 may have been stolen, consistent with internal estimates. This consensus lends weight to the opinion that despite being serious, the real financial impact of the exploit remains limited compared with initial assessment. On the other hand, Echo Protocol is conducting a thorough audit of its system administered key accessibility level as well as cross-chain minted revenue options. Findings have been validated and additional mitigations have been recommended by external auditors and ecosystem partners. User Advisory and Other Security Implications Echo Protocol released an unambiguous warning for users in the wake of the exploit, advising them to refrain from engaging with any unofficial links, claim portals or recovery schemes. The team stressed it will never ask for sensitive data such as seed phrases, private keys or direct wallet transfers. The alert mentions a modus operandi followup to high profile exploits in the past where scammers opportunistically try to take advantage of uncertainty and fear in the community. Not only has the incident revived wider discussions in decentralized finance on operational security, but also nosedived fears over admin keys. Smart contracts are arguably designed to be trustless; however, administrative controls can render points of failure if not properly secured. Echo Protocol said it was continuing to refine EVM-series bridge deployments as an evolution strategy for enhanced cross-chain security and operational risk mitigation. The improvements, along with stricter internal controls, are designed to rebuild user and investor confidence. Ecosystem Deals A Blow To Market Faith The ECHO exploit provides a clear example of how new and emerging blockchain ecosystems are still susceptible to attacks. While there have been advances, a lot still hinges on significant gaps in key management and cross-chain infrastructure. The keen involvement of the protocol’s team with immediate, transparent advice has managed to put a stop to the heightened volatility but it does illustrate how quickly outages and other security events can shake even tried-and-tested markets. Once broken, Trust, like my ancient phone coverage areas, needs a long way back to be restored. As investigations go on, the crypto community is watching with bated breath, not only looking for news regarding this case but also scrutinizing what it tells us about the bigger picture of decentralized finance security. For now, the focus is on recovery and accountability, but also the lessons we need to prevent these types of exploits again. Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services. Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news !
19 May 2026, 09:33
Bitcoin steady at 76,818 dollars as oil tops 100
🚨 Bitcoin stabilized at 76,818 dollars after recent losses. Oil prices shot past the 100-dollar mark, reigniting inflation fears. Continue Reading: Bitcoin steady at 76,818 dollars as oil tops 100 The post Bitcoin steady at 76,818 dollars as oil tops 100 appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
19 May 2026, 09:30
Strategy Holds 843,738 BTC vs Blackrock’s 817,138 as the Race to a Million Bitcoin Intensifies
Fewer than 27,000 BTC now separates Strategy and Blackrock in what has become an unprecedented contest to be the first institution to hold 1 million bitcoin. Two Giants, One Finish Line For much of late 2024 and early 2025, Blackrock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust was regarded as the fastest-growing exchange-traded fund (ETF) in U.S. market history.
19 May 2026, 09:30
Crypto Hack Hits Echo As Monad’s eBTC Market Faces Fallout
Echo Protocol is investigating a security incident involving its bridge on Monad after crypto on-chain analysts said an attacker minted 1,000 eBTC and used part of the position to extract WBTC liquidity through Curvance. The first public alarm came from on-chain analyst DCF GOD, who wrote that Echo “may be hacked on Monad.” He added: “Someone minted 1k ebtc out of nowhere, max borrowed wbtc against it on Curvance, bridged, and tornado away.” A follow-up post pointed to a Monad transaction showing a 1,000 eBTC transfer on May 18 at 21:21:32 UTC. $76M Crypto Mint Sparks Alarm Lookonchain later mapped the reported sequence in more detail. According to the account, the attacker minted 1,000 eBTC, valued at about $76.64 million, deposited 45 eBTC worth roughly $3.45 million into Curvance, borrowed 11.3 WBTC worth about $867,000, bridged the WBTC to Ethereum, swapped it for 385 ETH worth about $821,000, and deposited the ETH into Tornado Cash. Lookonchain said the attacker still held 955 eBTC, valued at about $73.2 million. Phylax Systems founder and CEO Odysseas Lamtzidis said the transaction trail pointed away from a Curvance lending flaw and toward a role-management compromise on the eBTC side. “Monad eBTC/Curvance trace: not a Curvance lending bug,” he wrote. “The eBTC admin granted DEFAULT_ADMIN_ROLE to 0x6A0109, who revoked admin, self-granted MINTER_ROLE, minted 1,000 eBTC, posted 45 eBTC as collateral, and borrowed ~11.296 WBTC.” Lamtzidis said the pattern “looks like admin-key/role compromise,” citing key transactions for the admin grant, mint and borrow. Echo confirmed the incident without publishing a root-cause analysis. “We are currently investigating a security incident impacting the Echo bridge on Monad. All cross-chain transactions remain suspended while the investigation is underway. We will continue to provide timely updates through our official channels as more information becomes available.” The suspension makes the bridge the immediate operational focus, not simply the lending market that processed the collateral. Curvance’s exposure appears to have come through the affected Echo eBTC market. Curvance paused that market while the teams investigated, and cited Curvance as saying there was no indication its smart contracts had been compromised and that its isolated-market architecture meant other markets were not affected. Also, Monad’s network itself was not affected. Monad CEO Keone Hon wrote via X: “To clarify, the Monad network is not affected and is operating normally. Security researchers in their review have determined that ~$816,000 appears to have been stolen as a result of this exploit of Echo Protocol’s eBTC. The incident illustrates a familiar bridge-to-lending failure pattern. Once a bridged or synthetic asset is treated as valid collateral, even a partial conversion path can turn a supply-side failure into real liquidity loss. In this case, the eBTC mint was used to borrow WBTC, move it off Monad, convert it into ETH, and route the funds through a mixer before the broader notional position was fully monetized. Echo’s next update will need to answer several market-facing questions: whether the unauthorized eBTC has been neutralized, whether Curvance faces bad debt from the WBTC borrow, which bridge permissions or contracts were involved, and when cross-chain transactions can safely resume. Until then, the eBTC market on Monad remains the key pressure point for users trying to assess whether the incident was contained or merely slowed. The Echo exploit also lands during a rough stretch for crypto infrastructure. On May 15, THORChain has lost more than $10 million across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain and Base, including 36.75 BTC and roughly $7 million in other assets. Days later, the Verus-Ethereum Bridge was drained for about $11.5 million, with reports saying the attacker took 103.6 tBTC, 1,625 ETH and 147,000 USDC before consolidating the haul into roughly 5,402 ETH. Echo now gives markets another reminder that bridge design, collateral acceptance and liquidity routing remain one of DeFi’s most exposed attack surfaces. [UPDATE from X:] Echo Protocol confirmed: “Earlier today, Echo Protocol identified unauthorized activity involving eBTC on Monad that resulted in unauthorized minting and associated fund loss. Our investigation indicates the issue originated from a compromised admin key affecting the Monad deployment. Based on current findings, approximately $816K was impacted on Monad. The Monad network itself was not impacted and continues to operate normally. Since detecting the incident, we have been actively investigating potential cross-chain exposure, coordinating with ecosystem partners, and implementing additional precautionary measures. We have successfully regained control of our admin keys and burnt the remaining 955 eBTC that was in the attacker’s possession.” At press time, the total crypto market cap stood at $2.54 trillion.
19 May 2026, 09:25
HYPE breaks $48 as SpaceX pre-IPO trading fuels demand
HYPE has extended its rally above $48 on increased interest in trading stock perpetual futures. Hyperliquid is also the most optimistic price discovery mechanism for pre-IPO SpaceX shares. HYPE tokens indicate increasing interest in Hyperliquid. HYPE peaked at $48.34 as of May 19, extending its rally from the past few days. The token trades near a three-month peak as the influence of Hyperliquid expanded. HYPE rallied above $48, with the potential to break out to a higher range. | Source: CoinGecko . HYPE is not only reflecting short-term interest and whale investments, but also the whole trend of switching to stock perpetual futures. As Cryptopolitan reported earlier, RWAs trading on Hyperliquid reached a new record of open interest, with stocks and pre-IPO stocks taking the lead. HYPE mindshare remains around 0.8% , with no general hype from crypto retail. The token has become the focus of whales, as well as of Bitwise, which plans to launch a HYPE ETF . As a result of the growing interest, HYPE broke out of its two-month range, potentially moving above $55. SpaceX pre-IPO tokens accelerate trading SpaceX pre-IPO tokens (SPCX) are one of the main assets drawing attention to Hyperliquid. The platform has the most optimistic valuation of over $2.5T, making SpaceX the sixth most valuable company in the world. The pre-IPO stocks are priced at $202.88 on TradeXYZ, with $31.48M in open interest. The trading pairs use the perpetual futures model, and only reflect pricing, not actual access to the IPO shares. SpaceX pre-IPO stocks also trade on Solana through the PreStocks issuer, with an implied valuation of $1.98T. PreStocks intends to deliver special purpose vehicle stocks, essentially turning into a spot market for the tokens. Ventuals on Hyperliquid offers alternative perpetual futures, valuing SpaceX at $2.1T. Both the TradeXYZ and Ventuals versions allow moderate leveraged trading, betting on price direction. The on-chain source of SpaceX activity may mean trading will accelerate ahead of June 12, one of the probable dates for the IPO. As Cryptopolitan reported , the US Securities and Exchange Commission may also boost tokenized share trading through innovation exemptions. Can Hyperliquid predict the SpaceX IPO price? Hyperliquid trading on HIP-3 is closely watched for its ability to predict the IPO price range. SpaceX already performed a 1:5 split to increase the number of shares and lower the minimum investment, potentially achieving a wider reach. On-chain trading for SPCX pre-IPO tokens is giving the most optimistic range and valuation. According to Polymarket, there is only a 49% probability for a valuation above $2.4B . The SpaceX IPO is also seen as a potential booster to crypto sentiment. As Elon Musk has previously engaged with meme tokens, the IPO may affect the price of DOGE. The SPCX ticker has also been used by older meme tokens, which may rally during the IPO. However, the main focus is on pre-IPO trading pairs and tokenized shares as a tool for early access to one of the largest IPOs in history. Unlike Anthropic, SpaceX has not given any hints at voiding SPV purchases, although the IPO may be oversubscribed and relatively inaccessible. Don’t just read crypto news. Understand it. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's free .
19 May 2026, 09:15
Bitcoin Traders Push BTC Back to $77K After Trump Freezes Iran Response
On May 19, bitcoin rebounded from a low of $76,000 to trade above $77,000 ($77,200 by 3:50 AM EST). However, Bitfinex analysts warn that the drop below $78,000 exposes deep market fragilities. Geopolitical Relief Bitcoin climbed back above $77,000 on the morning of May 19, rebounding from a late‑Monday dip to $76,000. The recovery remained
