Boltz Disabled by AI-Assisted Attacks: Bitcoin Swap Bridge Shuts Down Indefinitely

Boltz, a non-custodial bridge for Bitcoin swaps between mainchain, Lightning Network, and Liquid, has disabled its service indefinitely due to automated AI-assisted attacks on its infrastructure.

The team behind Boltz announced the shutdown on August 3, stating that they had seen a 'steady rise in automated, AI-assisted probing of our infrastructure' over several months. They claimed that attackers are iterating faster than their team can find and patch exploits.

Boltz's shutdown affects wallets such as Bull Bitcoin and Aqua, which rely on the bridge for Lightning and Liquid payments. The company emphasized that user funds were never at risk due to its non-custodial design, but the losses were theirs alone.

The episode highlights the growing challenge of securing open-source infrastructure against sophisticated AI-powered attacks. Francis Pouliot, CEO of Bull Bitcoin, expressed his determination to restore Lightning payments and Liquid-to-bitcoin swaps for his wallet users, warning that these functions will fail until then.