Security has been a critical challenge for decentralized finance (DeFi) and its evolution. Between 2020 and 2022, hackers stole over $2.5 billion through vulnerabilities on cross-chain bridges, Token Terminal data shows. Compared to other security breaches, this is a substantial amount.
Issues with bridges have a root cause: All of them have an "inherent vulnerability," Theo Gauthier, founder and CEO of Toposware, told Cointelegraph. According to Gauthier, no matter how secure a bridge is on its own, it is "entirely reliant on the security of the chains it connects," meaning that any breach or bug within one of the two bridged chains makes the overall bridge vulnerable.