Layerzero

Chainlink has released CCIP 2.0, a major upgrade to its cross-chain messaging and bridging technology that allows companies to add custom verification checks. The rollout comes months after a $292 million exploit at Kelp DAO highlighted the risks of bridge designs that rely on a single verifier.

KelpDAO has filed a civil lawsuit against LayerZero and co-founder Bryan Pellegrino, alleging undisclosed weaknesses in the cross-chain protocol enabled a major rsETH exploit. Pellegrino called the claim meritless and said he will defend himself and LayerZero in a British Columbia court.

LayerZero introduced ATLAS, a trading and settlement engine built on its Zero blockchain for crypto-native venues and institutional platforms. ZRO jumped roughly 30% as the plan tied trading activity more directly to the token through a buy-and-burn mechanism.

BitGo is set to replace LayerZero with Chainlink CCIP as the exclusive cross-chain provider for WBTC, adding major weight to a broader infrastructure migration. The announced LayerZero-to-Chainlink shift now covers roughly $14.6 billion following heightened scrutiny after the Kelp DAO bridge exploit.

Ethical hackers found a critical Aptos flaw that was patched before user funds were affected. Their testing suggested a low-cost attack path could have threatened stablecoins, bridges, DeFi protocols and other crypto infrastructure.