News linked to both this project and an event.
Odaily, Cypherpunk, the company managing the ZEC treasury, stated that all software has vulnerabilities. Historically, Bitcoin once "over-minted" 184 billion BTC due to a bug. However, this does not mean abandoning blockchain technology; rather, security should be enhanced through formal verification and provable correctness.Cypherpunk emphasized that with the development of AI technology, vulnerability detection will become faster and broader, but the key lies in who can discover issues before malicious actors. Zcash will demonstrate this capability through an upcoming update.
Cypherpunk, the ZEC treasury company, responded on X to the market volatility of the ZEC token, stating that all software contains vulnerabilities and citing the historical Bitcoin incident in which a bug led to the accidental minting of 184 billion BTC. However, this does not mean blockchain technology should be abandoned; instead, security should be enhanced through formal verification and provable correctness.
according to Onchain Lens monitoring, due to the Orchard Pool vulnerability, ZEC fell below $400. The 3x leveraged ZEC short position of “1011 insider whale” Garrett Jin has a floating profit of over $13.5 million, while his 5x leveraged BTC long position has a floating loss of over $17 million.
Adam Iza, a California cryptocurrency executive, admitted on Monday to orchestrating an attempted kidnapping of Veer Chetal's parents. The case is related to the $245 million Bitcoin theft that Veer Chetal was previously involved in.Adam Iza, 25, also known as Ahmed Faiq, who ran the crypto trading company Zort and called himself the "Godfather," along with Veer Chetal and two others, impersonated technical support staff from Google and crypto exchanges to steal 4,100 Bitcoins from a Washington resident, valued at approximately $245 million at the time. Adam Iza and his accomplices attempted to obtain part of the stolen funds by kidnapping Veer Chetal's parents. Additionally, Adam Iza admitted to fraudulently accessing Meta's business manager accounts and credit lines to steal over $37 million between 2020 and 2022. Federal prosecutors are seeking at least 14 years in prison for his sentence. (fortune)
A man in Florida, USA, was arrested for allegedly stealing approximately $1.9 million worth of Bitcoin using the mnemonic phrase of his former employer’s hardware wallet. According to police, the unauthorized transfer of the stolen funds occurred in 2020, when the suspect still had access to critical security information.
multiple blockchain and post-quantum cryptography researchers have warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating the development of quantum computing and could potentially impact the security systems of mainstream blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, earlier than anticipated.Alex Pruden, CEO of Project Eleven, a firm focused on quantum-resistant infrastructure, stated that the combination of AI and quantum computing is fundamentally reshaping the future security landscape. "People will no longer be able to rely on existing security assumptions as they have in the past," he said.Researchers point out that AI is already being used to optimize quantum error correction, which is one of the key technical bottlenecks in the development of quantum computing. Illia Polosukhin also noted that AI has been accelerating scientific breakthroughs for years, and in the future, there may even be a circular acceleration effect where "AI helps build the next generation of quantum computers."One of the industry's biggest current concerns is the "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" strategy, where governments or advanced attackers begin mass-collecting encrypted data now, waiting to decrypt it all at once once quantum computing matures. Polosukhin warned that if quantum computers become viable within a few years, "most of today's important data on the internet could be decrypted in the future."Given that most blockchain networks and internet infrastructure currently rely on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could theoretically derive a private key from a public key, directly breaking wallets and on-chain systems. Simultaneously, AI itself is strengthening hacking capabilities. Pruden stated that AI models are becoming increasingly adept at discovering software vulnerabilities and cryptography implementation flaws, and may even be able to crack some encryption algorithms directly in the future.However, AI is also being used by developers for code auditing, formal verification, and testing post-quantum security systems, creating a "long-term security arms race" with simultaneous upgrades on both the offensive and defensive sides. Researchers believe the most significant change brought by AI and quantum computing together is that the core assumption of "long-term cryptographic reliability" in the digital age is being challenged. Future security systems may shift from "static upgrades" to continuous dynamic evolution. (CoinDesk)
According to Cointelegraph, Bitcoin mining company MARA Holdings spent $4.3 million on CEO Fred Thiel’s personal security in 2025, including $430,780 for vehicle armor, as well as residential and personal security expenses. Filings show related spending for 2024 totaled $191,040. In the same year, MARA also spent $3.9 million on CFO Salman Khan’s personal security. The report notes that personal safety costs for companies are rising amid an increase in “wrench attacks” targeting cryptocurrency executives and investors.
according to monitoring by Specter Analyst, a high-net-worth investor holding significant assets on Kraken and Coinbase exchanges fell victim to an alleged personal intimidation attack, resulting in total losses of approximately $6.7 million across various assets.The attacker withdrew 1,554 ETH (approximately $3.3 million) and 10.5 BTC from the user's Kraken account. Simultaneously, the attacker also breached the user's Coinbase defenses, withdrawing 34.1 cbBTC. Subsequently, the attacker directly deposited over $5.3 million of the stolen funds into the privacy protocol Tornado Cash to obfuscate the transaction trail. (financefeeds)
Threshold Network posted on platform X, stating that on May 18, 2026, a malicious attacker attempted to mint tBTC without depositing the underlying Bitcoin. The attempt was unsuccessful; no invalid tBTC was issued, and user funds were not at risk.As a precautionary measure against high-frequency malicious activity in the broader crypto ecosystem, Optimistic Minting has been temporarily suspended. Currently, minting operations are conducted through the liquidation mechanism, with typical minting times increasing from approximately 1.5 hours to around 6 to 7 hours.
According to The Block, Bitcoin Depot (BTM), a Nasdaq-listed Bitcoin ATM operator, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the 18th in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, announcing an orderly liquidation and asset sale. CEO Alex Holmes stated that increasingly stringent state-level compliance requirements, transaction limit restrictions, and operational bans in certain regions have rendered the company’s existing business model unsustainable. Previously, the company suffered a security breach in April 2026, resulting in a $3.7 million loss; its Q1 2026 revenue declined 49.2% year-on-year, with a net loss of $9.5 million. Currently, all over 9,000 Bitcoin ATMs operated globally by Bitcoin Depot have been taken offline, and its overseas entities—including those in Canada—will also be shut down.
According to a research report released by Binance Research, approximately 11% of illicit cryptocurrency transaction volume was seized in 2025—55 times the global fiat recovery rate (less than 1%). Even after excluding the single Prince Group case involving roughly $15 billion worth of BTC, the remaining seized amount still stands at about 10 times the fiat baseline. Data from on-chain security firms SlowMist and PeckShield shows that between 8.3% and 13.2% of stolen funds were recovered or frozen in 2025, reflecting continuously improving collaboration efficiency among exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and law enforcement agencies. Binance Research notes that blockchain’s inherent transparency is being fully leveraged by regulators and investigators, and the notion that “cryptocurrency is a breeding ground for illicit activity” is gradually becoming an outdated misconception.
following the $292 million exploit of Kelp DAO's LayerZero bridge, the security of cross-chain infrastructure has once again come under scrutiny. DeFi protocols Kelp DAO, Solv Protocol, Re, and crypto exchange Kraken have all taken similar migration measures, with the total value of this outflow reaching approximately $4 billion.Decentralized finance protocol Lombard has become the latest project to join the migration wave, announcing a gradual phase-out of LayerZero and the migration of over $1 billion in Bitcoin collateral assets to Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP). Bitcoin-related tokens issued by Lombard include LBTC and BTC.b. It is reported that Lombard's initial migration assets cover the Solana, Etherlink, Berachain, Corn, and TAC chains, while the use of LayerZero on Morph and Swell will also be terminated. As of now, LayerZero has not responded to requests for comment. (CoinDesk)
on-chain detective ZachXBT stated that the hacker "Dritan Kapplani Jr" transferred approximately $2.59 million in assets today, including 1.99 million DAI and 259 ETH. The funds were moved from address 0x4487...bba6 to address 0x67ec...125d. The stolen funds currently remain dormant.ZachXBT stated that on May 12, they published an investigation detailing the connection between Dritan Kapplani Jr and Trenton (Trent) Johnson in a social engineering theft involving 185 Bitcoin (approximately $13 million).
According to on-chain analyst PeckShield (@PeckShieldAlert), THORChain has been hacked, resulting in losses of approximately $10 million in crypto assets, including 36.75 BTC (around $3 million) and roughly $7 million in assets from BNB Chain, Ethereum, and Base.
On-chain investigator ZachXBT stated that THORChain appears to have been attacked on the Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC, and Base networks, resulting in losses exceeding $7.4 million.
Odaily Odaily News Gate Research recently released its "April 2026 Cryptocurrency Market Review" report, indicating that the overall cryptocurrency market saw a volatile upward trend in April, with total market capitalization significantly higher than in March. BTC and ETH ETF trading volumes maintained high volatility overall. The report shows continued divergence in activity across major public chain ecosystems. Solana's daily transaction volume remained in the range of approximately 90 million to 110 million transactions, maintaining its leading position.Regarding trending sectors, the report notes that Pokemon TCG RWA has become one of the fastest-growing on-chain RWA sub-sectors, entering a second explosive growth phase in April. Major trading platforms saw monthly trading volumes exceed $220 million, with weekly revenue briefly approaching $6 million, setting new historical records. Meanwhile, Aave experienced its most severe liquidity crisis ever in April, with TVL outflows reaching tens of billions of dollars within a few days and net outflows exceeding $9 billion for the entire month.In terms of fundraising and security incidents, the Web3 industry completed 51 financing rounds in April, totaling approximately $834 million, with capital further concentrating on leading financial and infrastructure tracks. Among these, Payward ranked first for the month with a $200 million financing round. On the security front, Web3 security incidents in April resulted in losses of approximately $306 million, a month-over-month increase of about 858%, primarily driven by a single cross-chain infrastructure attack on Kelp DAO worth approximately $293 million. The report suggests that against the backdrop of a recovering market, on-chain activity and capital liquidity are both increasing simultaneously. However, the security risks associated with cross-chain infrastructure and high-leverage protocols remain worthy of continued attention.
on-chain detective ZachXBT has exposed US threat actor Dritan Kapllani Jr., alleging his involvement in social engineering thefts targeting crypto users, totaling approximately $19 million.ZachXBT stated that Dritan has long been flaunting luxury cars,名牌 watches, private jets, and nightclub lifestyles on social media. On April 23, 2026, during a "Band 4 Band (B4B)" voice call on Discord, in an attempt to prove he was wealthier than another hacker, he publicly displayed an Exodus wallet containing $3.68 million in assets.The relevant ETH address is: 0x4487db847db2fc99372a985743a26f46e0b2bba6ZachXBT's tracking revealed that this address is linked to a social engineering theft incident on March 14, 2026, involving 185 BTC (approximately $13 million). The following day, Dritan's Exodus wallet received about $5.3 million from that theft. By the time of the B4B call six weeks later, approximately $1.6 million had already been spent or laundered.On May 11, the US Department of Justice unsealed a criminal indictment against Trenton Johnson, charging him with participation in the theft of 185 BTC. He faces a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The indictment refers to "Co-Conspirator 1 (CC-1)," believed to be Dritan, who has not yet been formally charged.ZachXBT also noted that Dritan is connected to hacker John Daghita (Lick), who was previously arrested for stealing $46 million from the US government. John had previously exposed Dritan's old wallet address on Telegram. On-chain analysis shows that this address is linked to multiple high-confidence social engineering thefts in 2025, with a cumulative total exceeding $5.85 million.ZachXBT stated that Dritan has long been active in the "The Com" hacker circle and had seemingly avoided formal prosecution due to being a minor. Now that he has turned 18, his "borrowed time may finally be over."
According to on-chain analyst PeckShield (@PeckShieldAlert), the TrustedVolumes attacker has laundered approximately $278,000 of stolen funds to date, including depositing 10.2 ETH (approx. $23,600) into Tornado Cash and swapping 110 ETH (approx. $250,000) for BTC via THORChain. Additionally, the attacker attempted to deposit 0.5 ETH into Railgun but subsequently withdrew it. TrustedVolumes was attacked on May 7, resulting in losses of approximately $6.7 million.
Solv Protocol has announced the migration of over $700 million in tokenized Bitcoin assets to Chainlink's cross-chain protocol CCIP, and will gradually phase out LayerZero's bridging support across multiple chains. The migration involves core assets such as SolvBTC and xSolvBTC. Solv stated that the decision is based on the latest security reviews and recent cross-chain security incidents, and CCIP will become its standard cross-chain infrastructure. This move follows Kelp DAO's migration of approximately $290 million in assets to Chainlink, further strengthening the trend of "cross-chain infrastructure shifting toward security-first migration." (CoinDesk)
According to on-chain data platform Santiment (@SantimentData), as Bitcoin’s price reclaimed the $80,000 level, the ratio of bullish-to-bearish comments on social media rose to 1.37:1.00—the highest in nearly four months—signaling a notable surge in market optimism. However, Santiment cautions that historically, sharp increases in bullish sentiment often serve as warning signs rather than buy signals. When retail FOMO dominates social media discussions, traders tend to enter positions late in the trend, raising the likelihood of local tops, profit-taking, and sudden price volatility. Santiment notes that peak market euphoria frequently coincides with the onset of waning momentum. By comparison, following the Kelp DAO vulnerability incident in mid-April, social sentiment plunged into deeply bearish territory; the exit of “weak-handed investors” instead laid a healthier foundation for the current rally. With sentiment now having reversed dramatically, Santiment advises traders to remain vigilant against potential risks stemming from excessive leverage and overly concentrated positions.