tBTC Bridge Comes Back Online After a Nine Day Security Pause, but Aave Keeps Its Reserve Locked

Threshold Network has begun bringing its tBTC bridge back to life after a security shutdown that lasted nine days. The team said on Sunday that the network behind the bridge is rebooting as node operators who have installed the necessary security fixes reconnect one by one. These operators are independent parties who jointly approve Bitcoin transfers and handle deposits and redemptions. Until enough of them are back, the app will not take new deposits, minting or redemption requests. Orders placed before the halt should be completed as more operators rejoin, though no restart date has been given.

What Caused the Bitcoin Bridge Shutdown

The pause began on October 30 after a serious flaw was found in the Linux kernel. Left unpatched, the weakness could let a remote attacker run code on a server. Threshold said it had seen no sign that anyone used the flaw against tBTC nodes, and it shut the system down so operators could update their machines safely.

Aave tBTC Reserve Freeze and Current Risks

Aave responded on October 31 by freezing its tBTC reserve on Ethereum Core, which holds around $120 million worth of the token. The freeze blocks new deposits and stops tBTC from adding borrowing power, while current users can still withdraw funds and repay loans.

Is tBTC Fully Backed by Bitcoin?

Threshold reports about 4,320 BTC in bridge wallets compared with roughly 4,185 tBTC in circulation, and says it found no unauthorized Bitcoin transfers or token minting. Aave risk provider LlamaRisk plans to suggest reopening the reserve once Threshold’s operations are back to normal.