AI-Driven Attacks Force Boltz to Shut Down, Exposing Crypto Security Weaknesses

A non-custodial Bitcoin bridge called Boltz was forced to shut down due to AI-assisted probing attacks that exceeded its team's capacity.

The company, which allowed users to switch between on-chain BTC, the Lightning Network, and Liquid, absorbed exploit losses but decided it could no longer operate safely. Despite its non-custodial structure, protecting user balances was not the issue; rather, it was the team's ability to keep pace with the attacks.

Boltz's shutdown highlights the growing concern that small teams in crypto infrastructure are facing a daunting challenge: staying secure against AI-driven attacks that can scan targets continuously at low cost and move quickly to exploit vulnerabilities before they can be patched.