Across Protocol’s Solana relayer lost under $4 million after an exploit targeted its bridging infrastructure, in an incident confined to the relayer component rather than the wider cross-chain protocol.
The loss was tied to the relayer that fronts capital to fill orders for users bridging assets across chains, not to a compromise of the full Across Protocol bridge. That distinction bounds the damage to the relayer’s own operating funds rather than pooled user deposits. For related coverage, see BlackRock IBIT Drove 90% of a $225M Bitcoin ETF Reversal.
Estimated Loss — Across Protocol Solana Relayer Attack
Under $4M
Across Protocol’s Solana relayer lost under $4 million after an exploit targeted its bridging infrastructure. Source: CoinLineup For related coverage, see Bitcoin Falls Below $65K as Oil Rises Above $100 After Tanker Attacks.
Why the Relayer Distinction Matters
A relayer is the actor that fronts and settles bridge transfers, so a loss isolated to relayer capital is materially different from a compromise of the bridge contracts holding user deposits. On the available evidence, the loss appears tied to the Solana-side relayer.
Beyond the loss figure and the affected component, further detail on the exact attack vector, attacker addresses, and fund flow has not been established. Claims about the precise method should be treated as open until an on-chain trace or post-mortem is published.
How It Fits the Pattern of Bridge Incidents
Bridge and relayer infrastructure has repeatedly drawn attackers across DeFi, and exchanges have tightened their responses. Upbit only lifted a trading warning on TAIKO after reviewing a June bridge exploit, showing how one infrastructure incident can ripple into trading policy.
The relayer sits within Solana’s wider DeFi stack, where value locked runs into the billions, per Solana chain TVL data. A sub-$4 million relayer loss is small against that backdrop, but it underscores that the risk lives in the operational layer, not only in smart contracts.
What to Watch Next
The open questions are whether the relayer has been paused, whether affected funds will be made whole, and whether Across publishes a remediation plan. Those outcomes shaped user impact in prior cases, much as creditor recovery defined events like Poolin’s bankruptcy that left users owed $164 million.
Solana’s ecosystem has continued to draw capital, including projects such as Memecoin.Fun’s $3.5 million launchpad raise, so relayer security remains a live concern for the chain’s cross-chain plumbing. Confirmation from the Across team or a verifiable on-chain trace would close the remaining gaps.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
