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DeFi projects hit by fresh wave of front-end attacks

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DeFi projects hit by fresh wave of front-end attacks

Following a quiet couple of weeks in terms of major crypto hacks, a recent uptick in front-end attacks has seen users themselves firmly in the crosshairs.

Two such attacks were detected today on platforms OpenEden and Curvance. Another attempt targeted users of Maple Finance last week. 

Front-end attacks rely on gaining access to, for example, a DeFi project’s website, and inserting malicious code which prompts users to unwittingly transfer their crypto assets to the attacker.

A wave of front-end attacks swept over the sector in 2024.

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Read more: Compound Finance and Celer Network websites compromised in ‘front-end’ attacks

Early on Monday, Blockchain security firm Blockaid reported a front-end attack on real-world asset tokenization platform OpenEden.

The firm advised users to “refrain from signing transactions and avoid interactions with the dApp until the issue is resolved.”

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Blockaid attributed the attack to the AngelFerno crypto wallet drainer.

OpenEden warned users not to interact with either openeden.com or portal.openeden.com “as it can cause you to lose your wallet’s assets.”

The post provides a link to the project’s proof of reserves, to reassure users that underlying assets are safe.

Double trouble

Just hours later, Ethereum Security Alliance member “pcaversaccio” warned of a domain compromise affecting lending platform Curvance’s website.

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Read more: The DAO hacked again, but this time it’s the good guys

The tweet includes screenshots, one of which shows the domain having been updated earlier today with no DNSSEC signature. Another shows a malicious approvals transaction, also apparently generated by the AngelFerno drainer.

Curvance reassured users that “preventative measures were taken before any loss of funds occurred.” However, it recommends they “refrain from interacting with the front end until further notice.”

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Last week, $2 billion “onchain asset manager” Maple Finance was hit with the same attack. The team updated users after regaining control, stating that “smart contracts and funds have remained safe and unaffected.“

Read more: Inside DeFi 004: ✨ DAO dramas reaching resolution?

Scam-as-a-service

Crypto wallet drainers, such as AngelFerno are so-called “scam-as-a-service” scripts which prompt malicious transactions depending on what’s in the connected victim’s wallet.

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The scripts are distributed to phishing scammers and SIM swappers who find innovative ways to lure victims into engaging with the drainer.

Any proceeds from a successful drain are automatically split between scammer and drainer developer according to its code.

Drainer victims are often lured in by false airdrop promises, spoofed front ends, or fake security scares. However, it’s not just naive newbies who fall into the trap; even hackers themselves have been known to get stung.

Got a tip? Send us an email securely via Protos Leaks. For more informed news and investigations, follow us on XBluesky, and Google News, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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Crypto World

Is This BTC’s Calm Before the Major Storm?

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Is This BTC's Calm Before the Major Storm?

Bitcoin is extending its recovery, but the market is now approaching a more meaningful technical decision point. After holding the $60,000 region and building a series of higher lows, BTC has pushed back into the low-$70,000s, where short-term momentum is improving. Still, the broader structure has not fully flipped bullish, which means this move is best viewed as a test of resistance until proven otherwise.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: The Daily Chart

On the daily chart, Bitcoin continues to trade below both the 100-day and 200-day moving averages, keeping the higher-timeframe trend cautious. The price is also still sitting inside the broader descending structure, even though the latest rebound has clearly improved conditions compared to the panic sell-off seen near the February lows.

The key level to watch remains the $75,000 to $80,000 resistance area, which previously acted as support before turning into supply. As long as BTC stays below that zone, the broader move can still be interpreted as a rebound within a larger corrective phase. On the downside, the $60,000 to $62,000 area remains the main support base, and it is still the level buyers need to defend to preserve the current recovery structure.

BTC/USDT 4-Hour Chart

The 4-hour chart looks stronger. Bitcoin has been climbing within a rising channel, and price is once again pressing toward the upper boundary of that formation. The market is now trading around $71,000 to $72,000, with RSI also firming near the upper half of its range, which reflects improving short-term momentum.

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That said, BTC is approaching a confluence zone where channel resistance overlaps with horizontal supply around $73,000 to $75,000. This makes the current area especially important. A clean breakout above it would strengthen the case for continuation into higher resistance, while another rejection could send price back toward the middle or lower end of the channel and keep the market in consolidation mode.

On-Chain Analysis

The on-chain picture adds a more constructive undertone. The Spot Average Order Size chart shows that recent activity is still being driven more by larger participants than by aggressive retail-style behavior. Historically, that kind of backdrop tends to be healthier than a move led by euphoric small buyers, because it suggests stronger hands are still active even as price trades below the cycle highs.

At the same time, the chart does not show the kind of broad retail frenzy usually associated with late-stage blow-off conditions. In practical terms, that means the current recovery still looks relatively controlled from an on-chain participation perspective. So while Bitcoin is facing an important technical resistance zone on the charts, the order-size data suggests the market has not yet entered a fully overheated phase.

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Buterin Says Its Time To Revisit Idea Simplifying Ethereum Node Setup

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Decentralization, Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Nodes

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin posted a proposal, or a pull request, on Saturday that would merge the backend programs used by nodes to interact with Ethereum’s Beacon Chain, which handles consensus and staking, and the protocol’s execution layer into one unified code structure to simplify node setup.

Ethereum node runners, also called validators, currently have to run two separate programs, which each require setup and synchronization to coordinate and communicate the data produced by Ethereum’s consensus and execution layers.

This raises the technical complexity of running a node or providing validation services for the Ethereum network, preventing ordinary users from running their own infrastructure and forcing reliance on third-party service providers.

Decentralization, Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Nodes
Source: Vitalik Buterin

“I feel like at every level, we have implicitly made this decision that running a node is this oh so scary DevOps task that it is ok to leave to professionals,” Buterin said in a post on X. He continued:

“It is not. We need to reverse this. Running your own Ethereum infrastructure should be the basic right of every individual and household. ‘The hardware requirement is high, therefore it’s okay for the DevOps skill and time requirements to also be high,’ is not an excuse.”

Even those who can afford the high-end computing hardware to set up an Ethereum node and have the technical expertise typically lack the time to set them up, Buterin said, adding that “nodes should be easy.”

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The Ethereum network and other smart contract blockchains have faced criticism for the technical complexity and hardware requirements to run a node, which has also raised centralization concerns about those networks.

Related: Ethereum Foundation publishes mandate clarifying role and goals

Buterin proposes partially stateless nodes to further decentralize the network

In May 2025, Buterin proposed partially stateless nodes, which do not maintain the full block history and only keep data that the node runner requires.

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This reduces the hardware costs and data storage requirements for users running nodes for personal purposes, like sending transactions and verifying the blockchain. 

Decentralization, Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Nodes
An illustration showing how partially stateless nodes would only save portions of the blockchain state. Source: Ethereum Research

Disk space is usually the primary bottleneck for node operators, according to Go-Ethereum (GETH). Smart contract blockchain networks, like Ethereum, generate significant quantities of data that require ever-increasing storage space, making specialized node hardware a necessity.

“A market structure dominated by a few remote procedure call (RPC) providers is one that will face strong pressure to deplatform or censor users. Many RPC providers already exclude entire countries,” Buterin wrote.

In late January, Buterin said he had set aside 16,384 Ether, worth about $45 million, from his personal holdings to support privacy-preserving technologies, open hardware and secure, verifiable software. He added that the funds would be deployed gradually over the coming years as the Ethereum Foundation enters a period of what he described as “mild austerity,” while continuing to pursue its technical roadmap.

Magazine: Ethereum’s Fusaka fork explained for dummies: What the hell is PeerDAS?

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