TLDR:
- The Arbitrum Security Council froze 30,766 ETH on Arbitrum One tied to the KelpDAO exploit.
- Law enforcement provided direct input on the exploiter’s identity before the council took action.
- Funds were transferred to an intermediary frozen wallet on April 20 at 11:26 pm ET successfully.
- Future movement of the frozen ETH requires formal authorization from Arbitrum governance bodies.
The Arbitrum Security Council took emergency action to freeze 30,766 ETH on Arbitrum One. The funds were directly linked to the KelpDAO exploit on the network.
The council worked closely with law enforcement to identify the exploiter before taking action. After thorough technical review, the funds were moved to a frozen intermediary wallet.
As of April 20 at 11:26 pm ET, those assets were no longer accessible. No Arbitrum users or applications experienced any disruption during the process.
Security Council Coordinates With Law Enforcement Over KelpDAO Exploit
The Arbitrum Security Council did not operate independently when responding to the KelpDAO exploit. It worked in direct coordination with law enforcement throughout, which provided input on the exploiter’s verified identity. That collaboration gave the council a clearer basis from which to guide its full emergency response effectively.
The council also carefully weighed its obligations and responsibilities to the broader Arbitrum community at every step. It balanced the need for decisive security action with the goal of protecting overall network integrity. Throughout the process, the team confirmed that no chain state beyond the targeted address was altered.
Arbitrum addressed the matter publicly through its official X account on April 21. The post confirmed the council “acted with input from law enforcement as to the exploiter’s identity.”
The statement also noted that community security and integrity remained central at all times throughout the emergency response.
Funds Moved to Frozen Wallet as Arbitrum Governance Prepares Next Steps
After deliberate technical review and diligence, the council confirmed a precise method to transfer the 30,766 ETH safely.
The funds were relocated to an intermediary frozen wallet on Arbitrum One without causing any broader disruption. The operation avoided making changes to any other chain state or user accounts across the entire network.
The original wallet address connected to the KelpDAO exploit can no longer access the transferred ETH. Any future movement of those frozen funds will now require explicit formal authorization directly from Arbitrum governance.
The council confirmed this next phase will be coordinated with all relevant parties, including law enforcement agencies.
The transfer was completed as of April 20 at 11:26 pm ET on Arbitrum One, confirming the operation’s success. The Arbitrum Security Council attributed the outcome to thorough technical diligence and deliberation carried out before execution.
No disruption occurred to the broader Arbitrum network or any of its existing users throughout the process.
