BREAKING: THORChain Suffers $10M Exploit Across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC, Base Chains
Highlights
- THORChain suffered a $10 million exploit across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC, and Base chains, per ZachXBT.
- THORChain has halted all trading and swaps, to protect users and liquidity providers.
- RUNE Price crashes 12% amid panic among investors.
THORChain, a decentralized cross-chain liquidity protocol, has paused trading after blockchain security researchers flagged an exploit worth over $10 million. The protocol has reportedly suffered an exploit across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BSC and Base. As a result, RUNE price crashed 12% in a few hours.
THORChain Hit By $10M Crypto Losses in Exploit
On-chain investigator ZachXBT on May 15 flagged an exploit on THORChain, claiming losses exceeding $10 million. The funds are stolen across multiple major blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain (BSC), and Base.
In response, THORChain has halted all trading and swaps via its emergency protocol to contain the damage. The exploit involved large unauthorized outflows from THORChain’s router contracts across the affected chains.
Many security researchers and analytics platforms such as PeckShieldAlert revealed the attacker’s wallets. Notably, the wallets hold 36.85 BTC, 3,443 ETH, and 96.6 BNB, along with other tokens like USDT, USDC, and WBTC, according to Arkham data.
The incident triggered THORChain’s built-in halt mechanism, where nodes pause operations upon detecting the exploit to protect liquidity providers (LPs). This is reportedly the second notable security event for THORChain this year, amplifying concerns about DeFi interoperability risks.
Recently, KelpDAO suffered a hack worth $290 million. The attacker drained rsETH through KelpDAO’s LayerZero-powered cross-chain bridge, risking contagion to other DeFi protocols such as Aave.
RUNE Price Crashes 12% amid Market Reaction
RUNE price fell 12% in just a few hours, with the price currently trading at $0.520. The 24-hour low and high are $0.502 and $0.597, respectively. Furthermore, trading volume has increased by almost 140% over the last 24 hours as investors book profits amid a decline in prices.
In contrast, CoinGlass data showed massive buying in the derivatives market. At the time of writing, the total THORChain futures open interest jumped more than 6% to $24.80 million in just an hour. RUNE futures open interest spiked 19% in the past 4 hours, with an almost 17% and 19% jump on Binance and Bybit, respectively.
If you’re looking for more cross-chain swap protocols, here are our reviews for the top 9 among the best cross-chain swap platforms in 2026.
Instant Currency Exchange at BestChange with Ease
- Compare Rates Across 1000+ Exchanges
- Access 250+ Cryptocurrencies & Pairs
- Save Time with Real-Time Price Tracking
Why Trust CoinGape
CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights Read more… to our readers. Our journal analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.
Delivered every day.
- Insights that move markets
- 100,000 active subscribers
