tBTC’s bridge reboot: 4,320 BTC back in motion, Aave’s $120M reserve still on ice

Threshold Network’s tBTC bridge resumed onchain operations after a nine-day security pause, but an Aave reserve containing about $120 million in tBTC remains frozen to new deposits and borrowing against the token.

Threshold said on Sunday that the bridge’s underlying network was restarting as security-patched node operators reconnected. These independent operators authorize Bitcoin movements and process deposits and redemptions. Requests submitted before the shutdown are expected to be processed as more operators return, but the app will not accept new deposits, minting or redemptions until enough nodes are online. Threshold did not announce a restart date.

Threshold initially halted the bridge on Oct. 30 while operators addressed a critical Linux kernel vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute code on unpatched servers. The project said it found no evidence that the flaw had been exploited against tBTC nodes. Aave froze its tBTC reserve on Ethereum Core on Oct. 31 to limit additional exposure while redemptions were unavailable.

The restriction prevents new tBTC deposits and stops the token from adding borrowing power, while existing users can still withdraw and repay loans. Threshold said roughly 4,320 BTC remains in bridge wallets against about 4,185 tBTC in circulation, with no unauthorized Bitcoin transfers or token minting detected. Aave risk provider LlamaRisk said it would propose restoring the reserve after Threshold’s operations return to normal. Threshold has also described an upgraded bridge designed to funnel $500B institutional BTC into DeFi.