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Kelp DAO Bridge Exploit Drains $292 Million, Forcing Aave to Freeze rsETH and Face Bad Debt

The breach shows how a single cross‑chain verifier failure can turn fake collateral into real losses for major lenders.

Overview

  • An attacker spoofed LayerZero’s cross‑chain message on Saturday to release 116,500 rsETH worth about $292 million, and Kelp paused core contracts 46 minutes later to block further drains.
  • Using the unbacked rsETH as collateral, the attacker borrowed large sums on Aave, Compound and Euler, leaving those markets with positions that cannot be liquidated.
  • Aave is reviewing roughly $177–$236 million in potential bad debt and may need to use its Umbrella backstop, so WETH lenders now face uncertainty about how losses will be covered.
  • Aave froze rsETH markets on V3 and V4 as deposits fell by about $6 billion and the AAVE token slid double digits, while ETH also dipped as traders pulled funds and reassessed risk.
  • The drained bridge held reserves that backed wrapped rsETH on more than 20 networks, which has raised questions about backing for L2 holders and stressed liquidity across DeFi.