KelpDAO Moves rsETH to Chainlink CCIP After April Exploit Claim

KelpDAO says it has migrated rsETH cross-chain infrastructure to Chainlink CCIP, stating that LayerZero-based messaging was the origin of an exploit that affected the protocol in April.

KelpDAO announced rsETH now runs on Chainlink CCIP

According to KelpDAO, the project completed a migration of its rsETH liquid restaking token from LayerZero messaging infrastructure to Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol. The announcement was published on the Kelp section of the KernelDAO blog.

The move means that rsETH cross-chain transfers now rely on Chainlink CCIP for message verification and token routing between networks. KelpDAO positioned the change as a direct response to a security incident that occurred in April 2026.

KelpDAO attributed the April exploit to LayerZero infrastructure

KelpDAO said the April exploit originated from vulnerabilities in the LayerZero infrastructure that previously handled rsETH bridging. The project cited this as the primary motivation for switching providers.

It is important to note that this attribution comes from KelpDAO itself. Independent forensic confirmation of the exploit’s root cause has not been included in the project’s public communications reviewed for this report. The KernelDAO blog hosts the project’s official post-incident updates.

Bridge and messaging-layer exploits have been a recurring concern across decentralized finance. Earlier this year, Ripple offered to share intelligence on DPRK-linked hackers following a series of DeFi bridge compromises totaling hundreds of millions in losses.

What the migration means for rsETH holders

For rsETH holders and integrators, the migration changes the trust assumptions underlying cross-chain transfers. Chainlink CCIP uses a decentralized oracle network for message attestation, which represents a different security model than LayerZero’s ultra-light node approach.

The decision also signals how restaking protocols are evaluating infrastructure risk after exploits. Projects that rely on cross-chain movement of liquid staking derivatives face pressure to demonstrate that bridging layers will not become single points of failure.

Security-focused infrastructure decisions like this one echo broader industry moves. CME Group’s upcoming volatility futures and GoMining’s new GoBTC token similarly reflect protocols building around risk management as a core product feature.

KelpDAO has not disclosed whether affected users from the April incident have been fully compensated, or whether the migration required any action from existing rsETH holders on supported chains.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.