Blockchain
Experts Warn of Vulnerabilities about Ethereum Blockchain Security
Experts warn of vulnerabilities about Ethereum blockchain security, raising concerns about the safety of billions of dollars in cryptocurrency and the integrity of decentralized applications built on the platform.
A recent poll by Galaxy Digital researcher Christine Kim, on the social network “X” – former Twitter, reveals significant misconceptions within the Ethereum community about how much staked Ethereum (ETH) is necessary to secure the network.
Vulnerabilities of Ethereum: Less Staked ETH Needed for Attack Than Many Believe
Respondents displayed the following beliefs about Ethereum’s security:
- 44.9% believed that securing Ethereum requires 100% of all ETH staked, amounting to $110 billion, 31.4 million ETH.
- 20.4% thought 66.6% of staked ETH was sufficient, equivalent to $73.4 billion, 20.9 million ETH.
- 34.7% felt that only 33.3% of staked ETH, or $36.7 billion, 10.4 million ETH, was required for security.
Addressing these misconceptions, Christine Kim emphasized the actual vulnerabilities of Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism in a detailed follow-up. She highlighted that an attacker can disrupt finality with 33% of the total stake, prolong a chain split with 50%, and double spend with 66% of the total stake.
Kim added that security primarily depends on the network’s ability to penalize stakers by burning large amounts of the locked value. The worse the attack, the more value stakers stand to lose.
It is crucial to comprehend the true significance of the situation, with a pun intended. Further elaboration from the Ethereum Foundation explains the technical underpinnings of these vulnerabilities.
An article by the foundation states that attackers using >= 33% of the total stake make all attacks mentioned more likely to succeed.
If the amount exceeds this limit, it would be a more precise and concise way of getting the same meaning so they can prevent the chain from finalizing without having to control the actions of the other validators.
For attacks involving 34% of the total stake, the article detailed a possible scenario of “double finality” where an attacker can manipulate the validation of two conflicting blockchain forks at the same time. This kind of attack is characterized by significant coordination and control over the timing of messages within the network, posing a high risk due to the potential slashing of the attacker’s entire staked amount.
Higher levels of controlled staking, such as 50% and 66%, increase the potential for more severe disruptions, including sustained chain splits and transaction censorship or reversal.
The foundation’s article elaborates that at >50% of the total stake, the attacker could dominate the fork choice algorithm, enabling them to censor certain transactions, do short-range reorgs, and extract maximum MEV by reordering blocks in their favor.
Ethereum Blockchain Security: The Power of Community Consensus
To protect the Ethereum network from security risks, it has an “inactivity leak” mechanism that gradually reduces the stake of inactive or malicious validators. Additionally, if the chain splits, the Ethereum community uses social consensus to decide which chain to follow.
These revelations underscore the importance of community awareness and technical safeguards in maintaining the security and integrity of the Ethereum network. While Ethereum’s PoS system offers several security advantages, it also requires vigilant monitoring and readiness to act against potential attacks.
As the Ethereum staking landscape evolves, several key trends have emerged, reshaping how stakeholders interact and benefit from the staking process.
The Rise of Re-staking and the Challengers to Lido’s Dominance
Tom Wan, researcher at 21.co, highlighted these trends in a recent post:
- Increase in Re-staking Popularity: Since 2024, there has been a significant shift towards re-staking in the Ethereum ecosystem.
- Re-staking contributions have grown from 10% to 60% of the total staked ETH. Eigenlayer, in particular, has risen to prominence as the second-largest DeFi protocol on Ethereum, holding a $15 billion Total Value Locked (TVL), which represents 13% of all staked ETH.
- The decline in Lido’s Market Share: The rise of liquid restaking protocols has noticeably impacted Lido’s dominance in the Ethereum staking market. Lido’s share has fallen below 30%, influenced by the growth of new platforms like Etherfi, which has become the second-largest withdrawer of stETH since 2024, totaling withdrawals of 108k stETH.
- Centralized Exchange (CEX) Staking Decline: The prevalence of centralized exchanges in ETH staking has decreased from 29.7% to 25.8% since 2024. Kiln Finance recently surpassed Binance to become the third-largest ETH staking entity. Ether.fi is gaining market share and is positioned to challenge Binance’s former dominance shortly.
In conclusion, the Ethereum community must be aware of the actual vulnerabilities of the blockchain’s security and take necessary measures to protect the network.
The trend towards re-staking, decline in Lido’s market share, and centralized exchange staking decline are significant developments that will shape the future of Ethereum’s staking landscape.
Blockchain
AlphaTON Files $420M Securities Offering to Accelerate TON & Cocoon AI Expansion
AlphaTON has officially filed a massive $420.69 million shelf registration, marking a major step forward in the company’s transformation into a core infrastructure provider for the TON blockchain and Telegram’s Cocoon AI ecosystem. The filing became possible after AlphaTON exited the SEC’s “baby shelf rules,” which had previously capped how much capital it could raise in a given year.
According to the company’s December 4 announcement, AlphaTON now has the regulatory flexibility to issue a wide range of securities—common stock, preferred stock, debt instruments, warrants, or mixed units—across multiple offerings whenever market conditions are favorable.
Flexible Funding for AI, GPU Infrastructure, and TON Growth
Now free from earlier fundraising restrictions, AlphaTON plans to use the shelf registration to drive its next phase of expansion. The company outlined several target areas for the funds:
- Scaling GPU infrastructure to support Cocoon AI, Telegram’s fast-growing decentralized compute ecosystem
- Expanding deployments of Nvidia B200 GPUs through partnerships with CUDO Compute and AtNorth
- Funding acquisitions of Telegram- and TON-native businesses
- Strengthening its digital asset treasury, including ongoing accumulation of TON ecosystem tokens
CEO Brittany Kaiser emphasized that the expanded fundraising capacity allows AlphaTON to “move quickly and decisively” as demand surges for high-performance compute resources powering Cocoon AI.
Acquisitions Targeting Telegram’s 1B User Ecosystem
A large portion of AlphaTON’s strategy focuses on buying revenue-generating businesses already embedded in the Telegram and TON ecosystem. These include startups working on:
- Blockchain-enabled financial tools
- Content and creator platforms
- Payment solutions
- Gaming infrastructure
- Decentralized services for Telegram’s massive user base
Each acquisition is expected to strengthen AlphaTON’s portfolio of cash-flowing assets directly linked to Telegram’s growing Web3 environment.
Deepening Commitment to TON and Digital Assets
AlphaTON has steadily increased its exposure to the TON ecosystem since rebranding from Portage Biotech in September 2025. Its strategy includes:
- Accumulating TON and related tokens such as GAMEE
- Operating validators and staking nodes to earn yield
- Deploying GPU fleets for decentralized AI workloads
- Increasing participation in TON-linked financial instruments
This direction aligns the company with two of the fastest-growing sectors in the blockchain industry: decentralized compute and real-world ecosystem tokenization.
Positioning for a Decentralized AI & TON-Dominated Future
The new $420 million shelf registration comes at a pivotal time. Interest in decentralized AI compute is surging, and TON has rapidly expanded into one of the most active blockchain ecosystems in the world—powered largely by Telegram’s billion-user network.
With new capital flexibility, AlphaTON is now positioned to:
- Scale its infrastructure at a faster pace
- Capture larger segments of the TON and Cocoon AI markets
- Expand its holdings across digital assets and AI-driven services
- Strengthen its operational footprint ahead of future strategic milestones
AlphaTON’s latest filing indicates a company entering an aggressive expansion cycle, with significant implications for the future of TON, Telegram’s AI ecosystem, and decentralized compute infrastructure.
Blockchain
Meteora: The Liquidity Machine That Crawled Out of the Ruins
How a forgotten protocol rebuilt itself into Solana’s liquidity backbone—and the battles that shaped its rise.
It All Started With a Name Everyone Forgot
On Solana, projects rise and vanish faster than most people can track. When the FTX collapse tore through the ecosystem in late 2022, Mercurial became one of the many casualties.
Its treasury was trapped, its token collapsed, and the once-active community faded into silence.
Most people moved on.
But a small faction didn’t.
The group that would eventually build Meteora refused to walk away. They knew Mercurial couldn’t be revived—the damage was too deep. So instead of trying to fix the past, they chose to rebuild everything from scratch.
Their mindset shifted:
“Don’t repair the old machine. Build something engineered for Solana’s speed.”
And so Meteora was born—not a rebrand, but a complete reboot designed to answer one question:
What should liquidity look like on a chain that operates faster than anything else in crypto?
Where Meteora Began: Reinventing Liquidity
The answer became the Dynamic Liquidity Market Maker (DLMM).
Unlike traditional AMMs with smooth pricing curves, DLMM uses:
- Discrete price bins
- Zero-slippage trades inside each bin
- Bin-to-bin price progression
- Real-time liquidity intelligence
This wasn’t a pool—it was a high-speed liquidity engine, built to operate in milliseconds, just like Solana itself.
By early 2024, momentum exploded:
- Trading volume surged
- TVL stabilized
- Market makers migrated from Raydium and Orca
- Jupiter began routing heavy flow to DLMM
By early 2025, Meteora was processing $33 billion in monthly volume.
A protocol once written off as dead had become Solana’s liquidity backbone.
But Solana rewards speed—and punishes hesitation.
And soon, Meteora faced the first real test of its new era.
Glory and Pressure in the Age of Algorithms
DLMM turned Meteora into a star.
LPs earned more, traders got better quotes, and Jupiter treated DLMM as the default route.
Then came HumidiFi—out of absolutely nowhere.
It had:
- No front end
- No community
- No public LPs
- Zero transparency
Yet it instantly competed with Meteora.
Sometimes it even won.
Why?
HumidiFi operated like a dark pool on Solana, run by a private market-making entity.
Its spreads were razor-thin—as low as five basis points.
Jupiter didn’t care about decentralization.
It cared about the best price.
For Meteora, this wasn’t just rivalry—
It was an existential question:
Can open liquidity survive in a market where secrecy performs better?
DLMM’s full transparency—once its greatest strength—became a tactical weakness.
Competitors could study it in real time.
HumidiFi revealed nothing.
As one developer joked:
“Meteora showed everyone its engine. HumidiFi covered its engine in smoke—and somehow went faster.”
And just as the team began adapting to this new reality, a storm hit from an entirely different direction.
The TGE That Tested Everything
On October 23, 2025, Meteora launched its long-awaited token through a “Liquid Launch”:
- No lockups
- No VC allocations
- No vesting
- Nearly half of the supply—48%—released on day one
It was radical transparency.
But Solana moves at lightning speed.
Within seconds, the entire float was absorbed.
Sell pressure exploded.
Buy walls couldn’t form fast enough.
Within days, $MET fell over 70%.
Supporters admired the honesty.
Critics called it irresponsible.
Before sentiment recovered, another blow landed:
Co-founder Ben Chow was named in a class-action lawsuit tied to unrelated memecoin projects.
It wasn’t connected to Meteora—but timing is everything in crypto.
Confidence slipped.
FUD spread.
Every crack became visible.
But the engine?
It kept running.
- DLMM executed flawlessly
- Billions flowed through daily
- LP yields held strong
- Jupiter kept routing to Meteora
Beneath the surface, the real question lingered:
Can a radically transparent protocol survive in a market that rewards shadows?
What Comes Next
By early 2026, Meteora made its move—not by retreating, but by doubling down.
Key initiatives included:
Launch Suite 2.0
A rebuilt, safer, more transparent token-launch framework.
Enhanced Anti-Bot Infrastructure
Designed for Solana’s extreme speed environment.
DLMM Upgrades
Faster bin adjustments, better fairness, smarter liquidity logic.
HumidiFi remained a rival—but Meteora chose not to copy it.
Instead, it leaned harder into:
- Openness
- Design precision
- Engineering excellence
Their philosophy became clear:
You don’t beat dark pools by becoming a dark pool—you beat them by out-engineering them.
A Protocol Forged in Chaos
Solana hasn’t slowed down, and neither has Meteora.
Despite storms, controversies, rivals, and market volatility, Meteora continues to anchor massive trading flows across the network. Its story mirrors Solana’s own:
- Brutal
- Fast
- Relentless
- Always moving forward
Born in collapse.
Rebuilt through innovation.
Tempered by volatility.
Meteora is no longer a comeback story—it’s a reminder of what still drives Solana:
Speed, risk, and the belief that better systems are always possible.
Blockchain
Aerodrome Finance Faces DNS Hijacking Attack: Users Redirected to Phishing Sites
Aerodrome Finance — one of the largest decentralized exchanges (DEXs) on Coinbase’s Base network with more than $400 million in total value locked — has suffered a DNS hijacking attack that compromised its front-end website late Friday.
According to the Aerodrome team, attackers managed to infiltrate the centralized domain settings for aerodrome.finance and aerodrome.box, redirecting unsuspecting users to phishing sites designed to steal wallet credentials and drain funds.
Importantly, no smart contracts were compromised. All on-chain components of the protocol — including liquidity pools and treasury funds — remain fully secure.
What Happened? Aerodrome’s Domain Hijacked
The attack targeted Aerodrome’s DNS configuration, allowing hackers to replace the legitimate website with a malicious clone.
Users interacting with the fake interface risked signing transactions that transferred tokens to attacker-controlled wallets.
Because the exploit occurred at the domain level, Aerodrome is now urging users to:
- Avoid visiting aerodrome.finance and aerodrome.box
- Use the ENS-backed decentralized mirror:
aero.drome.eth.limo
Aerodrome stated that My.box, the domain provider, is currently investigating whether a system-level vulnerability enabled the hijack.
User Risks and Safety Guidelines
To protect users from further harm, Aerodrome issued urgent safety recommendations:
Use Only Verified Links
ENS domains bypass traditional DNS infrastructure, reducing the risk of tampering.
Revoke Recent Token Approvals
If a user unknowingly interacted with the phishing domain, criminals could still drain funds through previously granted permissions.
Tools like Revoke.cash allow users to quickly remove risky approvals.
Double-Check Transactions
Never approve token transfers or contract interactions through unverified websites.
Aerodrome previously suffered a similar front-end exploit in late 2023, which resulted in $300,000 in losses. This highlights a recurring challenge across Web3 platforms: while smart contracts may be secure, front-end attacks remain a persistent threat.
Market Response: AERO Token Remains Stable
Despite the security scare, the AERO token remained remarkably stable:
- Trading at ~$0.67
- Up 2% in the past 24 hours
Investor confidence appears intact, likely due to clarity that the exploit affected only the website’s front end — not the underlying DeFi infrastructure.
The incident also arrives just days after Aerodrome announced a major merger with Velodrome, combining liquidity and governance elements across Base and Optimism under a unified Aero ecosystem.
Ongoing Investigation
Aerodrome’s security team continues to collaborate with cyber specialists and infrastructure partners to trace the cause and verify the full scope of the attack.
Until the official domains are confirmed safe, the team advises users to rely exclusively on decentralized ENS-based access points.
The event also comes amid rising threats across the crypto space, including the Lazarus Group’s recent $1.4 billion theft from Bybit, underscoring escalating risks in centralized and semi-centralized Web3 systems.
Conclusion
The Aerodrome DNS hijacking attack serves as a powerful reminder that even secure DeFi protocols can be undermined by vulnerabilities at the interface layer. While user funds controlled by smart contracts remain safe, front-end exploits pose serious risks and demand heightened vigilance.
As Aerodrome works toward restoring full security and transparency, users are strongly advised to verify URLs, revoke suspicious approvals, and follow official updates.
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