Echo Protocol Halts Withdrawals After $266M Breach

Echo Protocol’s management confirmed a breach compromising its wallet containing 2,515.65 uBTC, resulting in a $266 million loss. The company halted all withdrawals, engaged security experts, and promised a forthcoming review. As the Echo Protocol Team stated, “Today, our wallet holding 2,515.648579 uBTC (valued at over $266 million) was subjected to a highly sophisticated supply chain attack and has been maliciously compromised. We have suspended withdrawals, engaged with security experts, and will publish an event review as soon as possible.”

The incident involved Echo Protocol as the central victim in a supply chain attack. The protocol immediately responded by suspending withdrawals and seeking aid from forensic analysts and auditors.

The breach sharply reduced the protocol’s collateralization ratio to 20%, threatening its financial stability. The uBTC, a BTC-pegged asset, was specifically targeted, increasing insolvency risks.

Industry figures have called for enhanced security measures across platforms. Arthur Hayes remarked on the importance of self-custody and thoroughly auditing protocols. Regulatory bodies have yet to make formal comments.

Echo Protocol has announced a bug bounty program aimed at asset recovery, a common practice in the industry’s response to large-scale breaches. Historical data shows similar exploits have often led to partial asset recovery.