Nethermind Abandons LayerZero for Chainlink Amid Growing Security Concerns

Nethermind has ended its role as a LayerZero verifier and moved its cross-chain operations to Chainlink, citing an 'extensive review' of the two infrastructure providers. The Ethereum engineering firm will help operate Chainlink's network while supplying engineering tools, infrastructure services, and integration support to blockchain developers.

Nethermind's decision follows the $292 million rsETH attack in April, which targeted Kelp DAO's LayerZero-powered bridge. The company has not disclosed whether the exploit triggered its review of LayerZero, but it did say that migrating to Chainlink was a long-term infrastructure decision tied to the responsibilities carried by node operators.

BitGo and Wyoming have also selected Chainlink for cross-chain operations, bringing the total value covered by publicly disclosed LayerZero-to-Chainlink migrations to nearly $15 billion. Nethermind will concentrate its cross-chain work on Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), which uses independent node operators, transaction limits, and a separate risk-management network to monitor cross-chain activity.