Yahoo Finance: Kelp DAO Exploit Sparks Aave Liquidity Crunch, $6.2 Billion Withdrawal Panic Interoperability protocol LayerZero claims that an inadequate setup tied to Kelp’s decentralized verifier network (DVN) enabled malicious actors to steal $290 million from Kelp DAO, adding that ... A cross-chain bridge exploit at Kelp DAO on April 18 drained about 116,500 rsETH, worth nearly $293 million, and triggered a rapid response across decentralized ... Crypto Briefing: AAVE TVL plummets $6B after Kelp DAO hack exploits LayerZero bridge flaw AAVE TVL plummets $6B after Kelp DAO hack exploits LayerZero bridge flaw Kelp DAO bridge hack results in $292M loss from rsETH reserves, marking 2026's largest DeFi exploit and impacting cross-chain protocols.

Understanding the Context

Kelp DAO's rsETH bridge was exploited for $292M via LayerZero. Stolen funds hit Aave as DeFi losses cross $600M across 10+ protocols in two weeks. Kelp DAO lost $292M in a bridge exploit targeting its LayerZero integration, forcing Aave, SparkLend, and others to freeze rsETH markets in 2026's largest hack. DeFi TVL fell by $13B after the KelpDAO exploit, and now the Vercel CEO is saying "highly sophisticated" actors used AI for its exploit.

Key Insights

FinanceFeeds: Kelp DAO Exploit Drains $292M in rsETH as Cross-Chain Bridge Targeted Decrypt: Kelp DAO Exploit Sparks Aave Liquidity Crunch, $6.2 Billion Withdrawal Panic The $292 million Kelp exploit: how it happened, and what it means for DeFi 2026 is shaping up to be DeFi's "worst year in terms of hacks," Ledger's CTO said, as the Kelp exploit shows how a single ... The $292 million Kelp crypto exploit: how it happened, and what it ... After attackers drained $291 million in crypto from Kelp DAO-linked infrastructure, DeFi users struggled on Aave to withdraw funds. Cointelegraph on MSN: LayerZero says Kelp setup enabled exploit, as Aave loss questions mount Analytics Insight: Kelp DAO Hack Drains $293 Million and Triggers DeFi Contagion Fears