Near Intents Recovers $3.8M in USDT from Exploit

Near Intents has recovered the majority of its funds following a recent exploit that drained approximately $3.8 million in USDT from its cross-chain trading and settlement protocol. The suspected entity behind the exploit returned the full amount, meeting a 48-hour deadline set by the protocol's General Manager Alex Shevchenko.

The incident occurred between September 30 and October 1, 2026, when a critical bug in the protocol's smart contracts was exploited. The attacker withdrew USDT from a treasury contract on BNB Chain in multiple transactions, totaling around $3.87 million. The protocol's SHIELD AI security layer flagged the activity, prompting a pause in services and a patch within an hour.

Shevchenko issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the funds to be returned, publishing specific return addresses across BTC, EVM, and Solana. The suspected entity reportedly returned the full $3.8 million, and Near Intents closed its investigation on October 4. The protocol has also committed to compensating users affected by the incident.