NEAR Intents Hacked for $3.8 Million, Native Token Plummets 7.5%

NEAR Intents, a cross-chain protocol, has confirmed a $3.8 million hack that occurred on October 1, 2026. The project's infrastructure was compromised, and the native NEAR token plummeted 7.5% within minutes, hitting a local low of $4.76 before rebounding to $4.84.

The hack was caused by a bug in the interaction between the NEAR Intents smart contract and Omni's custody architecture. The attackers exploited the vulnerability to make unauthorized withdrawals from the platform's hot wallet on BNB Chain (BSC), transferring the stolen assets to KuCoin and converting them into Bitcoin through cross-chain bridges.

NEAR Intents has since rolled out a crisis plan, patching the smart-contract flaw and freezing bridges for 12 hours until Omni completes its fixes. The project's treasury will fully compensate users for their losses, and assets held within the system can be safely converted as soon as service resumes.

This incident serves as a major precedent for the industry, highlighting the vulnerability of 'intents' architecture at integration points with conventional bridges. Despite the swift response and willingness to cover losses, security standards for cross-chain gateways will need to be rewritten.