EIGENLayer reassures community that platform infrastructure and on-chain protocols remain secure after investors lost approximately $6 million worth of EIGEN tokens in an isolated email breach on October 4 .
A malicious actor compromised an email thread between investors and the platform's custodian service and stole 1,673,645 EIGEN tokens. The EIGEN team reported that the attacker intercepted the communications and transferred the tokens to the attacker's address without the investors' knowledge.
The stolen tokens were quickly liquidated on a decentralized swap platform, and the attackers converted the proceeds into stablecoins. These stablecoins were then transferred to centralized exchanges to obscure their traces.
In response, the EIGEN team worked with multiple exchange platforms and law enforcement agencies and was able to successfully freeze some of the stolen funds.
EIGEN Layer stressed in a statement that the breach was limited to investor email communications and was not caused by any vulnerabilities in the platform's protocols or smart contracts.
After a preliminary investigation into the incident, the team said:
“This incident has nothing to do with on-chain functionality. Our protocol remains secure and token holders are not at risk.”
The attack prompted the team to tighten its security protocols, particularly related to investor communications. The latest information indicates that the broader ecosystem remains unaffected by this incident.
The statement added:
“We are continuing to investigate and will share further updates as more information becomes available.”
While the theft of funds represents a significant loss for investors, EIGEN Layer's quick response to freezing some of the assets highlights cooperation between decentralized platforms, centralized exchanges, and law enforcement in tackling token theft. This suggests the importance of
The EIGEN community awaits further details as the investigation progresses. The platform is committed to taking proactive steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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