A security breach involving Hyperbridge, a cross-chain bridge that facilitates transfers of Polkadot’s DOT token to Ethereum, sent shockwaves through the market on Monday, the 13th of April.
On-chain data and early reports showed that the attacker exploited a vulnerability in Hyperbridge’s Ethereum gateway contract.
The exploit involved forging a cross-chain message through the protocol’s Interoperable State Machine Protocol (ISMP), allowing the attacker to bypass state-proof verification within the smart contract. This breach ultimately granted unauthorized administrative control over the bridged DOT token contract on Ethereum [ETH].
With control established, the attacker minted approximately 1 billion bridged DOT tokens and quickly offloaded a portion, extracting roughly $237,000 in ETH through available liquidity.
However, shallow liquidity in the Ethereum DOT pool significantly limited the attacker’s gains.
Notably, the exploit remained contained within the ERC-20 representation of DOT.
Polkadot [DOT] confirmed that other bridges across its parachain ecosystem were unaffected, while native DOT tokens remained secure.
This incident once again highlights a broader concern, as cross-chain bridges often hold administrative control over token contracts on destination chains.
In response, Hyperbridge has paused all transactions across its network as investigations into the breach continue. The incident adds to a growing list of high-profile exploits. Earlier, on the 1st of April 2026, Drift Protocol on Solana suffered a far larger breach, with approximately $285 million in USDC reportedly drained.
It also remains unclear whether similar vulnerabilities exist across other bridged assets using the same gateway contract.
DOT holds steady, but downside risks remain
DOT fell 3.56% following the announcement and traded at $1.18, just above its all-time low of $1.13 recorded on the 13th of February 2026, according to CoinMarketCap.
Polkadot has struggled throughout the year, emerging as one of the market’s weaker performers. The altcoin is down 50.47% year-to-date and remains roughly 74% below levels seen before the 10th of October liquidation event that intensified the broader market downturn.
Spot market flows reflected a muted reaction, with a net outflow of just $43,170 following the news. By contrast, derivatives data suggested traders were gradually increasing bullish exposure, with high trading volume in the perpetual market pointing to speculative positioning.
For now, price action remains relatively stable.
However, downward risks persist. Weak sentiment, reduced capital, and sustained pressure across the broader crypto market continue to leave DOT vulnerable to a potential move toward a new all-time low.
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