Two Exploits, One Wallet: $255M in Stolen Crypto Shake Hands Across Chains 🕵️

Funds stolen in the 2026 Kelp DAO and Humanity Protocol exploits have been commingled on-chain, pointing to a possible link between the attackers behind the two incidents. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT identified the overlap, with on-chain analyst Specter adding that 15,403 ETH, valued at $23.6 million, was moved from the Humanity Protocol attacker to a relatively new Ethereum address before being bridged to the Bitcoin ($BTC) network and combined with proceeds from the KelpDAO exploit.

More than $8 million of the stolen funds have been laundered by the Humanity Protocol attacker to date, a method long associated with the Lazarus Group, which is known for consolidating earnings from multiple operations into a single BTC wallet before routing them through mixers and over-the-counter desks. The Kelp DAO exploit drained approximately $292 million from its LayerZero bridge in April 2026, while Humanity Protocol lost about $32 million in June after hackers gained access to the deployer account and team-controlled wallets through a compromised developer device.

Until now, the Humanity Protocol hack had raised suspicions of insider involvement, but the new connection to the Kelp DAO laundering trail suggests a shared external threat actor or a closely related cybercriminal network. The commingling also intersects with a broader legal context, as plaintiffs have cited North Korean ties to argue for confiscation of related assets; they currently hold more than $877 million in unpaid U.S. court judgments against North Korea.

The developments arrive as MEV bots continue to expand their role in on-chain markets, with the Jaredfromsubway.eth incident underscoring how sophisticated actors can still exploit specialized trading infrastructure. Together, the two exploits and their cross-chain laundering path highlight the escalating security pressures facing decentralized finance. In wider market action, ETH fell to an intraday low of $1,581.76 during the broader decline.