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Arbitrum freezes 30K ETH in KelpDAO hack as attacker routes funds to Bitcoin

  • Arbitrum froze 30,766 ETH before it could be bridged out.
  • Attacker moved 75,701 ETH and began routing funds to Bitcoin.
  • Over $176 million is being laundered through multiple parallel flows.

Arbitrum has frozen a significant portion of funds linked to the KelpDAO exploit, even as the attacker moves to push the remaining assets beyond reach.

The Arbitrum Security Council confirmed it froze 30,766 ETH, valued at over $70 million at the time of action.

The funds were tied to an address associated with the KelpDAO attacker and were secured before they could be bridged out of the network.

The intervention came after coordination with law enforcement, suggesting authorities may already have leads on the exploiter’s identity.

A race against time

Blockchain investigators, including PeckShield, had flagged that the attacker was already attempting to move the funds off Arbitrum using a native bridge.

Had that transfer been completed, the ETH would likely have joined a much larger pool of stolen assets already in circulation across other chains.

By intervening when it did, Arbitrum prevented roughly 29% of the stolen funds from entering the laundering pipeline. However, the remaining assets were not as fortunate.

The KelpDAO exploit itself is estimated at around $290 million, making it one of the largest decentralized finance breaches of 2026.

The attacker moved quickly after the initial exploit, splitting funds across multiple wallets and chains in an effort to reduce traceability.

Laundering shifts to Bitcoin

Following the freeze, the attacker accelerated efforts to move the remaining funds.

Data shows that approximately 75,701 ETH, worth about $175 million, was transferred to Ethereum mainnet.

From there, the funds began moving into Bitcoin through decentralized protocols like THORChain, Chainflip, and Umbra Cash, which allow direct cross-chain swaps without relying on centralized exchanges.

PeckShield analysts observed that the attacker left only about 0.7 ETH in some wallets, just enough to cover transaction fees, while draining the rest into new routes.

This pattern reflects a high level of operational discipline and planning.

Another $176 million portion of the stolen funds has also been actively moved in parallel transactions.

Rather than laundering everything in a single flow, the attacker appears to be running multiple streams at once.

This staggered approach reduces the risk of a single point of failure and makes recovery efforts more difficult.

Is the infamous North Korea’s Lazarus Group linked to the KelpDAO exploit?

The scale and coordination of the operation have led investigators to link the exploit to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, specifically a subgroup known as TraderTraitor.

This attribution is based on transaction patterns and laundering techniques that match previous operations tied to the group.

Lazarus has a long history of targeting crypto platforms and using complex cross-chain strategies to obscure stolen funds.

The use of decentralized bridges and rapid asset conversion seen in the KelpDAO case fits that pattern closely.

The post Arbitrum freezes 30K ETH in KelpDAO hack as attacker routes funds to Bitcoin appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Dogecoin shows renewed strength, eyes $0.10

Key takeaways

  • DOGE is up 1% and is now trading at $0.095.
  • The memecoin could rally towards the $0.10 psychological level in the near term.

Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), and Pepe (PEPE) are all displaying signs of renewed strength on Tuesday, as bullish technical setups emerge across major meme coins. 

DOGE and SHIB are testing key resistance zones, with a close above these levels potentially signaling further upside. Meanwhile, PEPE continues its recovery, finding support near the crucial 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), setting the stage for a potential rally continuation.

Derivatives data support a bullish outlook for Dogecoin

Dogecoin is up 1% in the last 24 hours and could rally higher in the near term amid a bullish outlook from the broader crypto market.

Bitcoin has reclaimed the $76,000 level, while Ether is now trading above the $2,300 mark once again.

Meanwhile, Dogecoin is looking to embark on a breakout above the $0.10 psychological level if the bullish trend persists.

Dogecoin’s derivatives data suggests that the bulls are currently in control of the market. The futures Open Interest (OI) now reads $1.23 billion, up from the $986 million recorded on Monday. 

The increase in OI suggests that retail traders are opening more positions in anticipation of a bullish move by Dogecoin. 

Dogecoin could extend gains with a close above the 50-Day EMA

Similar to other leading cryptocurrencies, the DOGE/USD 4-hour chart remains bearish and efficient. It has surpassed the 50-day EMA at $0.95 following its 2.4% rally on Monday. 

DOgecoin been consolidating beneath this resistance for over a month and briefly broke above it last week, but struggled to maintain support.

If DOGE closes its daily candle above the $0.095 level and holds, the altcoin could extend its rally toward the 100-day EMA at $0.105. 

DOGE/USD 4H Chart

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart is at 52, above the neutral level of 50, signaling weakening bearish momentum. Furthermore, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator shows green histogram bars, reinforcing the positive outlook.

On the downside, if DOGE fails to hold above the 50-day EMA, it could face a potential correction, bringing the price back toward the February 6 low of $0.080.

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XLM surges above key resistance level, bullish momentum builds

Key takeaways

  • Stellar is up 7% in the last 24 hours, making it the best performer among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap.
  • On-chain data, derivatives metrics, and momentum indicators collectively support a positive outlook

Stellar (XLM) is showing strong performance above critical resistance levels on Tuesday, as XLM found support around its respective resistance the previous day. 

With growing on-chain activity, positive derivatives data, and bullish momentum indicators, XLM is poised for potential upside.

Bullish sentiment backed by on-chain and derivatives data

CryptoQuant’s latest summary suggests a neutral to bullish outlook for XLM, highlighting large whale orders and favorable conditions in spot markets.

XLM is showing large whale orders with mostly neutral market metrics, reinforcing a bullish outlook.

On the derivatives front, XLM is displaying positive funding rates. XLM’s OI-Weighted Funding Rate flipped positive on Monday, reaching 0.0032% on Tuesday. This positive rate suggests a bullish market sentiment, with longs paying shorts.

XLM is showing promising signs of continued strength as it maintains momentum toward a potential breakout.

XLM technical outlook: Rebounds from key support

The XLM/USD 4-hour chart is bearish and efficient as Stellar is trading at $0.1815 at press time. The coin found support around the 50-day EMA at $0.165 the previous day. 

XLM is holding a constructive near-term bias as it stabilizes above the 50-day EMA and the broken descending trendline that now offers secondary support near $0.153. 

The current momentum indicators suggest that XLM could rally higher in the near term. The RSI on the 4-hour chart reads 71, just below the overbought territory. The MACD line is tracking above zero, suggesting buyers retain control while price stays capped above the 100-day EMA at $0.179.

If the rally persists, immediate resistance would be found at the 4-hour TLQ of $0.194, followed by a more substantive barrier at the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the broader downswing at $0.201.

A daily candle close above these levels would expose the 200-day EMA at $0.215, which defines a key medium-term hurdle.

XLM/USD 4H Chart

On the downside, initial support is seen at the 100-day EMA of $0.179, with another major demand zone at the day’s open near $0.173. 

An extended bearish performance would expose the 50-day EMA at $0.165, with deeper protection at the former descending resistance line-turned-support around $0.153.

The post XLM surges above key resistance level, bullish momentum builds appeared first on CoinJournal.

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RaveDAO token crashes below $1 after ZachXBT exposes price manipulation

  • RaveDAO token plunged 95% from $26 to under $1.
  • RAVE launched in December 2025 on Binance Alpha.
  • ZachXBT’s on-chain analysis also highlights MemeCore, River and MYX among questionable projects.

RaveDAO (RAVE) has plunged below $1, erasing more than 95% of its earlier rally to an all-time high of $26.

The sharp decline follows an investigation by blockchain analyst ZachXBT, which alleged clear signs of price manipulation.

The findings have raised broader concerns about potential insider-driven schemes affecting multiple tokens listed on centralised exchanges, contributing to selling pressure across the segment.

RaveDAO token dumps amid ZachXBT’s explosive allegations

ZachXBT, a pseudonymous investigator celebrated for dismantling multimillion-dollar crypto frauds, took to X on April 18, 2026, to dissect RAVE’s suspicious trajectory.

He pinpointed concentrated wallet activity controlling the token’s liquidity, engineering artificial pumps to trap retail buyers before orchestrated dumps.

“RAVE launched in Dec 2025 on Binance Alpha with a 1B total supply. The addresses below, linked to the initial distribution, control ~95% of the RAVE supply,” the on-chain sleuth posted.

Labelling it a textbook “pump-and-dump,” ZachXBT offered a $25,000 bounty for transaction proofs, urging platforms like Binance, Bitget, and Gate.io to launch probes.

He notes that the exchanges acknowledged his call, a move that could mirror past successes in securing refunds and bans.

Yet ZachXBT questioned why CEXs have waited for his call to acknowledge potential manipulation.

“While it’s good the exchanges responded, I find it unlikely this activity wasn’t spotted internally before I raised it publicly.”

RAVE’s price carnage unfolded mercilessly, plummeting from $26 to under $1 within 24 hours, with trading volume surging amid mass liquidations.

Billions of dollars in market cap vaporised, leaving holders stunned. The declines saw the token’s value drop to lows of $0.50, where it hovered as of writing on April 20, 2026.

ZachXBT also hits other tokens

The potential price manipulation extends to similar tokens.

“RAVE is not the only token with manipulation we have seen on major centralized exchanges,” he posted.

“It’s just the most blatant, reaching a top 15 market cap within 10 days before dropping 95% in hours. Other projects with highly questionable price action recently include: SIREN, MYX, COAI, M, PIPPIN, RIVER.”

According to ZachXBT, all projects have exhibited “highly questionable price action” and supply dominance by the team.

MemeCore, RIVER and PIPPIN prices echoed the Rave token bleed, dumping double digits to erase recent gains.

Some retail traders commented on ZachXBT’s post, noting this could be an opportunity to short. His response:

Data on CoinMarketCap showed M, River and Siren were down 7-9% in the past 24 hours as of writing.

The post RaveDAO token crashes below $1 after ZachXBT exposes price manipulation appeared first on CoinJournal.

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Circle Internet Group faces class action over failure to stop Drift Protocol exploit funds

  • Circle is accused of failing to freeze exploit-linked transfers.
  • Approximately $230 million in stolen funds was routed through Circle’s USDC.
  • Drift plans $147.5 million recovery backed by future revenue.

Circle Internet Group, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, is facing a class action lawsuit over its alleged failure to stop the movement of stolen funds linked to the Drift Protocol exploit.

The lawsuit, filed by Drift investor Joshua McCollum at the US district court in Massachusetts on behalf of over 100 impacted users, centres on whether the company had both the ability and the obligation to intervene as the exploit unfolded.

Lawsuit targets Circle’s role in fund transfers

The legal action stems from the April 2026 breach of Drift Protocol, a Solana-based decentralised exchange, where attackers drained roughly $285 million.

A significant portion of those funds, estimated at around $230 million, was quickly converted into USDC.

From there, the funds were moved across chains, primarily from Solana to Ethereum, using cross-chain infrastructure.

The transfers were not instantaneous. They occurred over several hours and were split into more than 100 transactions.

This detail sits at the centre of the lawsuit.

Plaintiffs argue that Circle had a window of opportunity to act.

According to the claim, the company could have frozen the affected wallets or halted the transfers, limiting the damage. Instead, the funds continued moving until they were fully out of reach.

The case accuses Circle of negligence and of indirectly facilitating the loss by failing to act despite having the technical capability to do so.

This argument is reinforced by previous instances where the company has frozen wallets tied to illicit activity, showing that such intervention is not only possible but already part of its operational toolkit.

At its core, the lawsuit raises a difficult question: when a centralised entity operates within a decentralised system, where does its responsibility begin and end?

Drift’s recovery plan

In response to the exploit, Drift Protocol has outlined a structured recovery plan aimed at addressing user losses while rebuilding the platform’s liquidity and operations.

The protocol is seeking to mobilise up to $147.5 million, with a significant portion backed by Tether and other ecosystem partners.

This figure, however, should not be viewed as immediate compensation.

A large share of the funding comes in the form of a revenue-linked credit facility estimated at around $100 million.

This means the protocol will draw funds over time and repay them using future trading fees and platform revenue rather than distributing the full amount upfront.

To manage user claims, Drift plans to issue a new recovery token, though its official name and final structure are yet to be confirmed.

This token will be distributed to affected users and will represent their share of the recovery pool.

It is expected to be transferable, allowing users to either hold it and wait for gradual repayments or sell it on secondary markets for immediate liquidity, likely at a discount.

The recovery pool itself will not rely solely on external funding.

It is designed to be continuously replenished through multiple sources, including protocol revenue, partner contributions, and any funds that may be recovered from the attackers.

This creates a system where repayments are tied directly to the platform’s ability to restart operations and generate consistent trading activity.

Despite these measures, there remains a clear shortfall.

With total losses estimated at approximately $285 million and recovery efforts targeting up to $150 million, a large portion of user funds is not immediately covered.

This gap highlights that users are unlikely to be fully reimbursed in the near term, and recovery will depend heavily on Drift’s long-term performance.

To support a relaunch, part of the recovery framework is also focused on restoring liquidity.

Incentives and financial support are being directed toward market makers to rebuild order books and improve trading conditions once the platform resumes full operations.

Without sufficient liquidity, even a technically sound relaunch would struggle to attract users back.

Another major shift is the protocol’s decision to move away from USDC as its primary settlement asset and instead adopt USDT.

This change comes after roughly $230 million of the stolen funds were converted into USDC and moved across chains during the exploit.

The switch signals a reassessment of risk and reflects a broader effort to restructure the platform’s core infrastructure following the incident.

Overall, Drift’s recovery plan is built around gradual restitution rather than immediate payouts.

Its success will depend on how quickly the platform can regain user trust, restore liquidity, and generate enough revenue to sustain long-term repayments.

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