News linked to both this project and an event.
慢雾创始人余弦于 X 平台发文表示，“Ekubo 有关合约被恶意利用。原因是如果用户之前将相关代币授权给：0x8CCB1ffD5C2aa6Bd926473425Dea4c8c15DE60fd；如这位用户 0x765DEC 的这笔 WBTC 无限授权（158 天前）：攻击者可指定已授权用户作为 payer，在 payCallback 中让该合约调用 WBTC transferFrom(victim, Ekubo Core, amount)，再通过 Ekubo Core(0xe0e0e08A6A4b9Dc7bD67BCB7aadE5cF48157d444) 的 withdraw/pay 平账流程把资产转给攻击者。这个操作执行了 85 次，每次 0.2 WBTC，最终用户 0x765DEC 损失 17 WBTC。建议用户尽快安装官方提醒检查以下合约授权：0x8ccb1ffd5c2aa6bd926473425dea4c8c15de60fd (V2)0x4f168f17923435c999f5c8565acab52c2218edf2 (V3)Arbitrum: 0xc93c4ad185ca48d66fefe80f906a67ef859fc47d (V3)。”
According to Cointelegraph, DeFi protocol Aave filed an emergency motion in New York on Monday seeking to vacate a restraining notice issued by U.S. law firm Gerstein Harrow LLP, which prevents the Arbitrum DAO from transferring 30,766 ETH to victims of the Kelp exploit. Gerstein Harrow LLP served the restraining notice on the Arbitrum DAO last Friday, asserting that its client is entitled to over $877 million in damages under a default judgment against North Korea. The firm claims that the North Korean hacking group behind the April 18 Kelp exploit previously held these tokens and that its client therefore holds a legal claim to the relevant ETH.
Aave LLC has submitted an emergency motion requesting the dismissal of the asset freeze notice issued against ArbitrumDAO on May 1, 2026. The notice involves approximately $71 million worth of ETH, assets belonging to users affected by the attack on April 18. Aave stated that stolen assets do not grant legal ownership through theft, and the relevant funds were originally intended for restitution to affected users; the freeze instead hinders the compensation process.Aave has requested an emergency hearing from the court to temporarily lift the freeze measure, while stating that it will continue to collaborate with the Arbitrum community and DeFiUnited to advance user compensation efforts.
According to Cointelegraph, U.S. law firm Gerstein Harrow LLP has filed an application with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York seeking a temporary restraining order and three writs of execution to prevent the Arbitrum DAO from transferring 30,766 ETH (valued at approximately $73 million) frozen following the Kelp vulnerability. The firm argues that its clients obtained default judgments against North Korea in U.S. courts in 2010, 2015, and 2016, entitling them to roughly $877 million in compensation—and contends that the stolen ETH constitutes North Korean-linked assets that should be used to satisfy those judgments. Kelp DAO suffered a $292 million hack on April 18; the attacker was identified as TraderTraitor, a subgroup of the North Korean state-sponsored hacking group Lazarus Group. Aave Labs previously proposed unfreezing the seized funds and transferring them into the “DeFi United” fund to compensate rsETH holders—but this legal action by Gerstein Harrow may significantly delay compensation for victims. Members of the Arbitrum DAO community have criticized the move, arguing it shifts the burden of North Korea’s debts onto another set of victims, thereby exacerbating the original harm. Gerstein Harrow had previously pursued litigation related to the 2023 Heco Bridge hack involving Teth
Odaily Odaily PaperImperium, the head of MegaETH, disclosed on X platform that documents from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York show that a U.S. court has issued an injunction against the Arbitrum DAO, prohibiting it from transferring approximately $71 million in ETH assets that were previously frozen during the KelpDAO hacking incident. In response, on-chain detective ZachXBT posted on X platform, stating that certain U.S. law firms are using his investigative work and on-chain forensics to help victims of some hacking incidents file legal claims. However, this practice may actually slow down or hinder victims from receiving compensation or recovering funds.ZachXBT added that in previous hacking incidents involving the Lazarus Group, such law firms often stepped in after on-chain fund tracking or freezing was completed, proposing subsequent legal actions that were weakly related to the crypto incidents themselves. Similar "free-riding claims" strategies were used in events like Harmony and Bybit. He called on the crypto community to establish a DAO to resist such practices.
: MegaETH lead PaperImperium disclosed on X platform a court document from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, showing that a U.S. court has issued an injunction against the Arbitrum DAO, prohibiting it from transferring approximately $71 million worth of ETH assets that were previously frozen in the KelpDAO hacking incident. The plaintiffs are attempting to use these funds to enforce outstanding judgment compensation in cases related to North Korea's involvement in terrorism, kidnapping, and other matters spanning several years. They have also filed a motion to serve legal notice to the Arbitrum DAO via alternative means, treating it as an accountable "partnership." The court document further notes that the Arbitrum DAO has a Security Council governed by ARB holders, which has the authority to take action in emergencies. As a result, relevant members who refuse to comply may face legal consequences such as contempt of court. Market observers believe that this case could set an important precedent for the U.S. judicial system to directly constrain DAO governance structures, further highlighting the compliance pressure faced by DeFi protocols under real-world legal frameworks.
According to Cointelegraph, the Arbitrum Committee voted to unfreeze $71 million worth of Ethereum to mitigate the $290 million loss caused by the Kelp DAO vulnerability.
: Arbitrum DAO has initiated a governance vote to release the previously frozen 30,766 ETH to support DeFi United, a recovery plan following the Kelp DAO attack.These assets, worth approximately $71.1 million, were frozen by the Arbitrum Security Council on April 20. They were originally funds transferred to the Arbitrum network by the attacker. If the proposal passes, it will become the largest single source of funding for the DeFi United plan.In the early stage of voting, 16.9 million ARB have already been cast in support. Currently, there are no opposing votes. The voting is set to continue until May 7.
Kelp DAO released a community update on X, noting that the recent rsETH security incident has remained tense over the past several days. However, with support from partners and the broader community, discussions are progressing in a positive direction, and efforts to identify an appropriate resolution are being accelerated. The guiding principles have already been reflected in initial actions, and subsequent updates will continue along this path, aiming for a win-win outcome for all stakeholders. Over the past four days, the Kelp team has engaged in in-depth communication with partners and other relevant parties. Specific progress includes: the Arbitrum Security Council has taken measures to freeze the stolen funds, and the SEAL 911 emergency response team has swiftly stepped in to conduct preliminary investigations, providing a clear and objective analytical perspective on the incident. While some developments have not yet been fully disclosed, related work continues to advance steadily. Kelp DAO stated that its current priority is safeguarding user assets and strengthening the protocol itself. This incident is also viewed as a critical test—not only for the project but for the broader DeFi ecosystem—and key follow-up developments will continue to be shared via official channels.
According to on-chain analyst Ember (@EmberCN), the rsETH incident on April 18 resulted in a funding shortfall of approximately 68,900 ETH (around $160 million): the hacker collateralized rsETH to borrow 99,600 ETH; after Arbitrum recovered 30,700 ETH, the remaining funds were fully converted by the hacker into BTC. The incident has now entered the remediation phase. Aave is coordinating the establishment of a “DeFi United” relief fund, which has so far received cumulative donations totaling 13,500 ETH (approximately $31.45 million). Donors include Lido Finance (2,500 stETH), ether.fi Foundation (5,000 ETH), Aave founder Stani Kulechov (5,000 ETH), Golem Foundation (1,000 ETH), as well as LayerZero and Ink Foundation (amounts undisclosed).
Aave released the latest update on the rsETH security incident on the X platform, announcing that it has paused rsETH reserve-related operations on the Ethereum mainnet as well as networks including Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, and Linea. This measure is intended to prevent excess aETHrsETH from being withdrawn, thereby pushing positions close to the 95% liquidation threshold. This action aims to preserve as much capital as possible and reduce systemic risk while the asset recovery plan is underway. Aave stated that further progress and resolution plans will be continuously disclosed to the community.
Aave announced the latest developments regarding the rsETH security incident on X, stating that rsETH-related reserve operations have been suspended on Ethereum Mainnet and on networks including Arbitrum, Base, Mantle, and Linea. This measure aims to preserve as much capital as possible and mitigate systemic risk while the asset recovery plan is underway. Aave stated that it will continue to disclose subsequent updates and resolution plans to the community.
According to on-chain analyst PeckShield (@PeckShieldAlert), the KelpDAO attacker has transferred ETH from Ethereum to Arbitrum via the Across Protocol, swapped it for USDT, and then routed the funds to TRON DAO via LayerZero.
According to on-chain analyst Specter (@SpecterAnalyst), the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor began laundering stolen funds from KelpDAO at approximately 3 a.m. Beijing time today—just three hours after the Arbitrum Council froze 30.7 ETH (approximately $71 million). The attackers split the remaining funds across three wallets, holding roughly 25,000 ETH (~$57.6 million), 25,700 ETH (~$59.2 million), and 25,000 ETH (~$57.9 million), respectively. The third wallet immediately initiated laundering operations and now holds only about 3,800 ETH (~$8 million). The majority of the funds were bridged to the Bitcoin network via THORChain, with approximately 99% flowing through this protocol. As a result, THORChain’s daily trading volume surged to $211 million—more than ten times its 30-day average—and generated roughly $189,000 in fees. During this laundering process, the illicit proceeds were also commingled with funds stolen in the BTC Turk (2025) and Bybit (2025) hacks. To date, approximately 442 BTC (~$33 million) linked to these incidents have been traced on the Bitcoin network, and over 400 addresses have been utilized throughout the entire laundering operation.
Odaily News KelpDAO stated in a post on X platform that it will continue to explore all feasible avenues to support rsETH holders and mitigate the impact of the related security incident on the DeFi ecosystem.It mentioned that over the past two days, the team has collaborated with the Arbitrum Security Council and multiple ecosystem participants, providing context on the incident and assisting with the assessment efforts, while also expressing gratitude for the coordination and support from teams like SEAL 911. Previously, the Arbitrum Security Council had frozen approximately 30,700 ETH, involving assets related to the KelpDAO attacker.
Odaily News According to on-chain analyst Yu Jin's monitoring, the Arbitrum chain project team has frozen the 30,766 ETH ($70.97 million) that the KelpDAO hacker had placed on the Arbitrum chain. Through technical means, they transferred these 30,766 ETH from the hacker's wallet to the address 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000da0, which is controlled by the Arbitrum chain. After the recovery of these 30,766 ETH, the hacker still holds 75,700 ETH ($175 million) on the Ethereum chain.
According to an official Arbitrum announcement, the Arbitrum Security Council took emergency action at 11:26 PM ET on April 20, successfully freezing and transferring 30,766 ETH held at addresses associated with the KelpDAO vulnerability. This operation was conducted with assistance from law enforcement agencies, and the funds have been moved to an intermediate frozen wallet—rendering the original addresses unable to access the funds. The subsequent disposition of these funds will be coordinated by the Arbitrum governance mechanism in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. The Security Council stated that the entire operation had no impact whatsoever on any other on-chain state or Arbitrum users.
Aave risk service provider LlamaRisk has released an incident report: On April 18, 2026, the attacker exploited a vulnerability in Kelp’s LayerZero V2 Unichain-to-Ethereum rsETH routing (a 1-of-1 DVN configuration flaw), forged inbound packets, and illicitly released 116,500 rsETH from the Ethereum-side adapter. Of these, 89,567 rsETH were deposited as collateral into multiple Aave V3 markets—including Ethereum Core and Arbitrum—enabling the borrowing of approximately 82,650 WETH (valued at ~$191 million) and 821 wstETH. Currently, only 40,373 rsETH remain in the adapter, while the total claimable rsETH on the remote chain stands at 152,577—creating a substantial shortfall. Depending on the loss allocation methodology, Aave faces two potential bad-debt scenarios: - Scenario 1 (global pro-rata allocation): Estimated bad debt of ~$123.7 million, with Ethereum Core bearing the greatest pressure; - Scenario 2 (loss confined to L2s): Estimated bad debt of ~$230.1 million, with Mantle facing a WETH reserve shortfall of up to 71.45% and Arbitrum facing a 26.67% shortfall. Following the incident, Aave Protocol Guardians and Risk Administrators immediately froze rsETH/wrsETH reserves across all 11 affected markets.
According to monetsupply.eth, Spark’s Strategy Lead, in a post on X, Spark has long maintained a relatively high borrowing interest rate cap for its SparkLend ETH market. Although this policy caused many users to migrate to Aave—resulting in substantial loss of business and revenue—the current market liquidity crisis has validated the prudence of this strategy. Presently, Aave is experiencing severe liquidity shortages across multiple chains—including Ethereum Mainnet, Arbitrum, Polygon Plasma, Mantle, and Base—with ETH borrowing utilization reaching 100%. This has prevented depositors from withdrawing funds and hindered normal liquidation of ETH collateral. He warns that if the current liquidity crunch persists, a 15–20% drop in ETH’s price could expose Aave to widespread bad debt—compounded by the potential impact of the rsETH vulnerability incident.
According to a post by 0xngmi, founder of DefiLlama, following the hack of KelpDAO, Aave is facing severe pressure in handling bad debt. Currently, there are three potential solutions: First, socializing the loss across all users—this would result in an 18.5% impairment for users, generating approximately $216 million in bad debt. Aave’s Umbrella Insurance could cover $55 million, and the treasury could contribute an additional $85 million, leaving a shortfall of roughly $76 million. Second, executing a “rug pull” on rsETH holders on L2 chains—this would generate approximately $341 million in bad debt, with Arbitrum, Mantle, and Base markets suffering the heaviest losses. Third, returning assets to holders based on a pre-attack snapshot—but this approach is extremely operationally challenging, and even after Umbrella Insurance coverage, an estimated $91 million in losses would remain. Additionally, some suggest confiscating the hacker’s collateral to offset part of the bad debt. Meanwhile, Aave’s OG Security Module still holds approximately $300 million worth of AAVE tokens; applying a 20% reduction would provide an additional ~$60 million in loss coverage.