Hackers Steal 290 Million NIGHT Tokens by Exploiting Wanchain Bridge Vulnerability

Here's the English translation:

A major security breach recently affected the Wanchain cross-chain bridge. Attackers exploited a vulnerability in the bridge's outdated architecture connecting the Binance and Cardano networks, allowing them to steal approximately 290 million NIGHT tokens.

After the theft, the stolen tokens were rapidly sold on the market, causing the price of NIGHT to plunge by around 43%. However, the token partially recovered within the next 24 hours, gaining nearly 19% as trading stabilized.

The Wanchain team confirmed the incident, temporarily suspended the affected bridge, and launched an investigation. The developers stated that they would keep the community informed and publish a full report once the investigation is complete.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson explained that the vulnerability originated from the bridge's legacy architecture, which had been developed by a third-party company, rather than from the Midnight project or the NIGHT token itself. According to him, attacks like this are becoming more common as artificial intelligence enables security researchers and hackers alike to identify software weaknesses much faster.

Hoskinson believes the blockchain industry should move away from traditional cross-chain bridges and adopt Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology. This approach verifies transactions through advanced cryptography instead of relying on trusted bridge operators or private key holders. In his view, such an architecture can significantly improve the security of cross-chain infrastructure and reduce the likelihood of similar exploits in the future.