Three DeFi Security Breaches Drain $35.5 Million in Six Hours

Where the losses occurred

The largest reported loss was at AFX Trade, which lost $24.15 million. According to the source article, the breach was linked to issues involving third-party bridge infrastructure. The project was said to be in ongoing negotiations with the attacker.

Verus Ethereum Bridge recorded the second-largest loss, at $7.54 million. The reported cause was an exploitation of its bridge import mechanism, though the investigation was still ongoing at the time of publication.

A third incident affected B² Network, which was reported to have lost $3.86 million. As with the Verus case, the investigation was ongoing.

Infrastructure, not base chains

The reported attacks did not stem from failures in Bitcoin, Ethereum or Arbitrum themselves. Instead, the incidents were described as attacks on supporting systems, especially cross-chain bridges and off-chain verification infrastructure.

That distinction matters because it points to a recurring problem in the crypto sector: risks often emerge not from the underlying blockchain, but from the layers built around it. As protocols and services become more interconnected, those surrounding systems can become attractive targets for attackers.

Why bridges remain exposed

Cross-chain bridges play a central role in moving assets and data between networks, but they also introduce added complexity. The source article grouped bridges, validators, oracles and cloud services among the areas where resilience needs to improve.

It also pointed to a broader set of safeguards that the industry is trying to strengthen, including operational protections, clearer reserve transparency, risk management practices and more effective incident response. The article said efforts under way across the sector include independent security audits, bug bounty and responsible disclosure programs, proof-of-reserves systems, protection funds, real-time risk monitoring, stronger wallet security and tighter operational controls.

A wider industry lesson

The source article framed the three incidents as a reminder that crypto security is a shared responsibility rather than a challenge confined to any one protocol design. In that view, resilience depends not only on smart contract code or blockchain consensus, but also on the surrounding operational and technical infrastructure that supports user activity.

It also argued that user confidence depends on transparency, verifiable asset protection and clear communication when incidents occur. The broader message was that security in crypto remains an ongoing process requiring continued investment and adjustment as the ecosystem evolves.

The same report included general user safety recommendations, such as reviewing project protection measures, checking wallet permissions, being cautious of unusually high-return promises, diversifying assets and weighing transparency and security infrastructure alongside product features.

Context

The incidents collectively reinforced a pattern long seen in digital asset markets: some of the largest losses occur at the connection points between systems rather than at the base-layer chains. In this case, the reported breaches highlighted continued pressure on bridge and related infrastructure at a time when cross-chain activity remains central to DeFi growth.