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A single compromised signature was enough.

When an attacker exploited LayerZero’s DVN network to mint 116,000 unbacked rsETH on Ethereum mainnet, Aave’s unified pool design did the rest: within minutes, a $193M loan was originated against fraudulent collateral, ETH borrow rates went to 100% utilization, and thousands of leveraged looping positions flipped from positive carry to deeply negative.

Now Kelp faces a decision with no clean answer: socialize losses across all rsETH holders at a 17% haircut, or isolate the damage to the Layer 2 and blow through lenders on mainnet. Meanwhile, Aave’s $250M umbrella module, designed precisely for moments like this, looks critically undercapitalized for a tail risk of this magnitude.

Blockworks researchers Luke Leasure, Shaunda Devens, and Carlos Gonzalez Campo walk through the mechanics of the exploit, the design choices that amplified it, and what the resolution scenarios mean for DeFi’s future.

Host:

    • Steven Ehrlich, Head of Research, SharpLink & Host of Bits + Bips: The Interview

Guests: