Truebit TRU Token Plummets 99.9% Following $26 Million Ethereum Exploit

Another day, another decentralized protocol learns the hard way that code isn't law—exploiters are.

The $26 Million Heist

A smart contract flaw in the Truebit protocol opened the floodgates, letting attackers drain a staggering $26 million worth of Ethereum. The exploit didn't just steal funds—it shattered confidence, triggering a catastrophic sell-off.

Market Carnage in Real-Time

The TRU token's chart didn't dip—it fell off a cliff. A 99.9% nosedive wiped out nearly all its value, turning portfolios to dust and leaving holders with little more than a bad memory and a transaction hash. It's a brutal reminder that in crypto, 'decentralized' doesn't automatically mean 'secure.'

The Aftermath and the Irony

Truebit, a project built to help Ethereum scale by verifying off-chain computations, was ultimately undone by an on-chain vulnerability. The team is now in damage-control mode, but for many investors, the response is too little, too late. It's the classic crypto cycle: build, hype, exploit, crash—rinse and repeat. Just another expensive audit for the 'future of finance,' paid for by retail bag-holders.

This meltdown cuts deeper than a single token's failure. It exposes the persistent fragility lurking beneath complex DeFi systems. For every protocol that promises to revolutionize finance, there's a hacker waiting to revolutionize their own wallet—proving once again that the most reliable smart contract is still the one that sends funds directly to yours.

TLDR

• TRU token dropped 99.9% after 8,535 ETH was stolen from Truebit’s platform
• Cyvers detected the $26M transfer flagged as high-risk and unusual
• 50% of the stolen ETH was routed through Tornado Cash shortly after
• Truebit confirmed the breach and is working with law enforcement

Truebit’s native token TRU has plummeted by 99.9% after a suspected exploit drained over $26 million worth of ethereum from the platform. The suspicious transaction, flagged by blockchain security firm Cyvers, involved the movement of 8,535 ETH to an anonymous wallet. The protocol has confirmed the incident and is working with law enforcement, while nearly half of the stolen funds were quickly funneled through Tornado Cash.

Truebit TRU Token Plunges After $26M Security Breach

Truebit’s native token, TRU, suffered a dramatic 99.9% decline following a suspected exploit that drained over 8,500 ETH. According to blockchain data, an anonymous wallet (0x6C8EC8f1) received approximately 8,535 ETH, worth an estimated $26.44 million based on current Ethereum prices.

WTF@Truebitprotocol HACKED

An old smart contract flaw let an attacker buy $TRU for $0, loop sells, and drain 8,535 ETH (~$26.6M) in single attack.$TRU collapsed 99.9%

Reminder:~ Legacy contracts aren’t inactive they’re ticking bombspic.twitter.com/Ko358J7yDw

— Broke Doomer(@im_BrokeDoomer) January 9, 2026

The exploit was detected by Cyvers, a blockchain security firm, which flagged the transaction due to its abnormal behavior. The company stated that its monitoring systems triggered alerts based on the pattern and scale of the transaction.

Blockchain Security Firm Flags Suspicious Activity

Cyvers confirmed that the ETH transfer met its internal thresholds for anomaly detection. The firm noted that the transaction patterns were inconsistent with typical activities linked to the Truebit protocol.

“More than 8,500 ETH was transferred in a single transaction, with roughly 50% moving through Tornado Cash shortly after,” Cyvers reported. Tornado Cash is often used to mask the origin of cryptocurrency transactions, raising further concerns about the nature of the transfer.

The security firm has continued to monitor the wallet and associated activity to detect any related transfers. However, it stopped short of confirming the incident as a hack, instead categorizing the activity as “anomalous.”

Truebit Acknowledges Incident and Engages Law Enforcement

The Truebit team has acknowledged awareness of the event and confirmed contact with law enforcement. The protocol has not yet provided detailed information on how the incident occurred or what vulnerabilities may have been exploited.

Truebit specializes in verifying off-chain computations on the Ethereum blockchain, reducing on-chain workload. The system uses cryptographic verification to confirm the accuracy of results processed outside the main chain. No comment has been issued on whether the exploit targeted the protocol’s Core features.

As of the time of writing, TRU is trading at $0.072, a steep fall from previous levels. The platform has not issued further updates on user funds or recovery plans.

2025 Crypto Crime Saw Billions in Losses

The Truebit exploit adds to a growing list of thefts in the cryptocurrency space. According to Chainalysis, over $3.4 billion was stolen through digital asset-related crimes in 2025. The majority came from a few major breaches, including $1.5 billion taken from Bybit in an attack linked to the Lazarus Group.

The firm noted that stablecoins now make up 84% of illicit crypto transactions. There has also been a rise in the use of infrastructure like bulletproof hosting and fake domain services to support cybercrime.

Meanwhile, PeckShield reported a decline in crypto theft losses in December 2025, with only two major breaches recorded. One involved address poisoning, where attackers trick users into sending assets to nearly identical wallet addresses.

Another incident saw over $27.3 million drained due to a private key leak. Despite fewer monthly cases, year-on-year data shows that cybercrime in crypto remains widespread and evolving.