Kelp DAO rsETH bridge drained of about $292 million in LayerZero-linked exploit

An attacker drained about 116,500 rsETH, a restaked-ether token, worth roughly $292 million from Kelp DAO's LayerZero-powered bridge on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The drain happened at 17:35 UTC, about 18% of rsETH's circulating supply, and Kelp's pauser multisig froze the core contracts 46 minutes later. The loss is one of the largest DeFi exploits of 2026 and hit an ether-linked asset.

• About 116,500 rsETH stolen, worth roughly $292 million
• Exploit at 17:35 UTC on April 18, 2026
• Roughly 18% of rsETH circulating supply
• Core contracts frozen 46 minutes after the drain