Former Ripple CTO Warns: DeFi Cross-Chain Bridge Security Mechanisms Often Deprecated for Convenience
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Summary
BroadChain learned that at 16:16 on April 20, according to Bitcoinist, David Schwartz, former Chief Technology Officer of Ripple, discovered a widespread structural issue while evaluating the DeFi cross-chain bridge design for Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD: although system designs typically include robust security mechanisms, teams often opt for simplified configurations in pursuit of operational convenience and rapid expansion, which may be the core trigger for recent security incidents like KelpDAO/rsETH. Schwartz pointed out that many bridging solutions can theoretically effectively defend against similar attacks, but these critical security features are often 'recommended' to be bypassed due to increased operational complexity.
BroadChain BroadChain learned that at 16:16 on April 20, according to Bitcoinist, David Schwartz, former CTO of Ripple, discovered a widespread structural issue while evaluating the DeFi cross-chain bridge design for Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD: although system designs typically include robust security mechanisms, teams often opt for simplified configurations in pursuit of operational convenience and rapid expansion, which may be the core trigger for the recent KelpDAO/rsETH security incident. Schwartz pointed out that many bridging solutions can theoretically effectively defend against similar attacks, but these critical security features are often "recommended" not to be used due to increased operational complexity, creating a "race to the bottom" risk. On April 18, attackers stole approximately 116,500 rsETH (worth about $290 million) using the KelpDAO rsETH cross-chain bridge based on LayerZero, prompting Aave to urgently freeze related markets. Schwartz warned that before the DeFi industry adequately addresses custody risk governance issues, continued expansion of cross-chain liquidity could lead to "temporary simplifications becoming permanent," with only a few months of caution following each major security incident, creating a recurring cycle. As of press time, XRP is trading at $1.40.