Hacker mints 1 billion DOT tokens via Hyperbridge and pulls out $237,000
The attack only affected wrapped DOT tokens on Ethereum, but it still triggered a quick response from major exchanges and sent ripples across the market
13.04.2026 - 11:30
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Key points:
- 1 billion wrapped DOT tokens minted via a Hyperbridge vulnerability.
- Attacker extracted approximately $237,000 due to limited liquidity.
- Upbit and Bithumb temporarily suspended DOT deposits and withdrawals.
A hacker exploited the cross-chain protocol Hyperbridge, which is connected to the Polkadot ecosystem, and minted 1 billion wrapped DOT tokens on Ethereum. According to CertiK analysts, the attacker was able to forge messages and gain control over the token contract due to a vulnerability in the bridge’s smart contract.
After minting the tokens, the hacker quickly dumped them. However, because of extremely low liquidity in the pool, they only managed to extract about $237,000. The attack was limited to DOT tokens bridged to Ethereum via Hyperbridge. Native Polkadot tokens and other bridges were not affected.
Market Reaction and Polkadot’s Comment
In response to the incident, South Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb temporarily halted DOT deposits and withdrawals. The price of the wrapped DOT tokens plunged nearly to zero, while the native DOT token briefly dropped around 4%.
Polkadot issued a statement emphasizing that the issue is isolated and does not impact the core network:
"The exploit only affects DOT on Ethereum that is bridged through Hyperbridge and does not affect DOT in the Polkadot ecosystem, or DOT bridged through other bridges. Polkadot, its parachains, and native DOT remain secure and unaffected. Hyperbridge has been paused while the issue is investigated."
Hyperbridge has already suspended operations and is conducting a full review. Early reports suggest the vulnerability was related to the proof verification mechanism, which allowed the attacker to bypass security checks.
The incident has once again raised concerns about cross-chain bridge security, even as developers continue to tout their improved reliability.
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